


If I Could Fly

by heartbreakpie



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cameos, Drama & Romance, Fluff, Hybrids, Implied Sexual Content, Interspecies Romance, Larry tale, Light Angst, M/M, No Smut, OT4, Other, Pirates, fable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-05-31 01:45:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 45,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6450418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartbreakpie/pseuds/heartbreakpie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If the sea can meet the sky agreeably at the horizon, how much harder can it truly be for feathers and fins? Is the water not drawn naturally to the shore? Does the sun not bend down to kiss the waves at the end of the day?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. For your eyes only

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Merman & Harpy au](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/187357) by pass-the-pencil. 



> A Larry tale AU that's mostly fluff with a little adventure thrown in for good measure. Feat: merman!harry & harpy!louis and whole lot of other cameos and canon references. I used Mica's AU art as writing prompts for several chapters to weave the story together into one cohesive fable. Enjoy the fluffy magic! 
> 
> Sorry, no actual hybrid smut. Well, mostly not.

**Louis, perched atop the gnarled branch of an oak tree** , is glaring so hard at the sea below him he thinks he may go permanently cross-eyed at any moment. He isn't sure how long he'd been waiting there, but the sun is starting to dip low in the sky, spreading its warm light across the glassy surface and making it harder and harder to see. Ever the patient creature, Louis stays still as a stone, except for his pale blue eyes that kept scanning the surface of the water for any type of movement.

The tree branch extends several feet over the edge of the water, like an outstretched limb, giving Louis the perfect position for a classic dive-and-snatch should his prey ever decide to show up. He's searching, once again, for the Gold Tail, the one elusive fish that kept escaping his capture. Ever since he caught sight of it weeks ago, Louis has been on the hunt. It's not every day you see something like that. Slimy grey, pearlescent white, a dull red sometimes, but gold? Even goldfish aren't truly gold. His mouth waters just thinking about it. 

The water laps gently against the shore of the tide pool. It's shallow enough here to see right down to the rocky bottom. All Louis needs now is for his prey to swim over and look for a little snack in the reeds before the sun sets. The gold tail seems to like it in this little spot, but every time Louis hears the splash of it's enormous fin, it's too late. The chase is starting to get annoyingly predictable whereas Louis would wait for hours on end for any sign of it, then gives up and slumps back into the woods, positively gutted. Sometimes he thinks the damn thing is just toying with him for fun.

Louis leaned forward a little, digging his sharp talons into the bark with frustrated intent. It will be dusk soon, and if he had to settle for bush mouse _again_ , he might go insane. He's supposed to be a hunter, for fuck's sake! A goddamn bird of prey! What kind of a hunter can't even catch a fish? Louis' eye narrows as he peers into the water. He is stubborn to the point of desperation and will not be leaving this perch until he has his salty meal in his hands.

*

The sound of a snapping twig behind him brings Louis to attention. He extends his wings out and ruffles them up to make himself seem bigger and more intimidating. The woods are not particularly dangerous for a Harpy like himself, but, ever practical, Louis doesn't like to be reckless.

He sees the horns first, shrouded in a coif of light hair making its way out of the bush as the Faun finally comes into view. Besides the horns, his torso is all but human, turning into two goat legs and covered in fair hair down to the hooves. The Faun carries with him a small lute in one hand and is making such a damn racket, it's a miracle all the fish in the entire ocean don't swim away immediately. Louis' eyebrows furrow into his face as his friend clomps his way towards the tree trunk.

"Really, Niall, could you honestly be any louder?" he says as the Faun makes his way towards him with all the subtlety of an elephant.

"Thought I'd keep you company some," says Niall with a smile as he trots over to Louis' perch. He shakes the branch playfully, throwing Louis off balance and making him emit a squawk in surprise before kicking Niall with his foot.

"Lovely thought, really, but I can't have you here. Your clunking hooves are already causing ripples in the water."

"That's not true. I'm very discreet." Niall leans against the tree trunk and begins plucking a few notes on his lute. "Besides, you said you'd be at your nest an hour ago. I'm starving!"

Louis sits down on the branch and lets his talons dangle above the tidal pool. "Well, I can't very well feed you with my invisible fish now can I?" 

"You promised me a grand dinner, Lou."

Louis shrugs, hunching his bare shoulders forward and folds his hands together on his feathered lap. "Maybe I'm losing my touch," he says, defeatedly.

"Want me ta sing you somethin'?"

"I'm alright," Louis says, swinging his leg around so he's straddling the tree branch and leans his back up against the trunk. "I just really thought I'd nab it this time."

"D'ya even know what you're looking for? I mean, a fish, sure, but what if it's something worse..." Niall's eyes go wide with mock terror making Louis chuckle.

"Not the sea monster story again, Niall..."

"It's not a story! It was real!" Niall yells, throwing his arms up, "There I was, minding my own business just playin a lil diddy on my lute, and somethin' grabs me and pulls me under th'water! The slimy thing tried to eat me right out of the shallows. Looking for a little taste of mutton, I reckon. Little did it realize this was Niall-the-fucking-FAUN it'was dealin' with and I kicked it right to high heaven, I did!"

"You did nothing of the sort!" Louis cackles at him.

"I did! Haven't been in the ocean since."

"Was wondering why it smelled like such a dirty barnyard around here lately."

"Hey now, I still bathe. I'm in the creek almost every day! Besides, I have never seen you having a proper bird bath since I met 'ya," Niall says.

"Well, we're lucky, see, we aren't born with that unfortunate manure-like aroma," Louis winks playfully. He swings his leg back over to one side and drops from the tree onto the ground. He shuffles slowly towards the water, surveying the smooth glassy surface as the deepening sunlight bleeds it's way into the horizon.

"It's most certainly a fish, Niall. A big one at that," Louis sighs, turning back towards his friend. Niall comes up behind him and squints into the light, putting his hands up to cover his eyes a bit.

"I can't see nothin' out there in this sun."

"Another reason why Harpies sit higher in the food chain than cute little Fauns." Louis flicks Niall's nose with a smirk.

"Hey, we've got our talents too. How 'bout I lure that fishy right out of the water with my naturally beautiful voice?"

"Better that than with your natural scent," Louis jokes, grabbing one of Niall's small horns and tugging at it. Niall laughs and starts strumming a familiar tune. Louis hums along, adding his raspy harmony to Niall's melody.

"Innit nice? Singing t'gether like this," Niall cooes with exaggerated sap.

"Brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it?"

Suddenly, there's a splash behind them and both creatures whip around towards the water. Despite the glaring sunset reflecting off the surface, Louis can just make out the tip of a gold fin disappearing under the water only a few feet away from the shore.

"No!" he cries, immediately launching himself into the air and zooming towards the spot where the fin dipped below.

"Hey!" Niall tries calling after him but Lou isn't listening. He's too hell-bent on reaching his prize. Lou plunges into the water, talons first, soaking himself up to his waist. He kicks his legs about, splashing salty water into his eyes and hair. His sharp claws search the water blindly, desperately for something slippery under the surface, but nothing is there.

But it was there! It was right there and he missed it, again. Wet and irritated, Louis gives his wings a hard flap, pulling his lower half out of the cold water and into the air. He flies around close to the surface, making aggressive waves in the water with the strong force of his wings. If he was braver he'd dive right in head first and grab the sucker with his bare hands, but Louis is already spitting up the salt water, nearly gagging. Plus, a pair of wet wings can spell pneumonia. Louis is not about to risk his life for a little shit like this.

"Give it up, lad," Niall calls to him from the shore. "It's not happenin'!"

Louis ignores him and swirls around in the air again, doing wide circles around the pool. He is still not willing to give up on his golden meal, though it's nowhere to be seen.

"C'mon Lou!" Niall yells once more, strumming his lute dramatically in jest. "I'm starving!"

"Go on, then!" Louis growls, still spinning around in desperate circles above the water.

Niall lifts his arms up in annoyance before turning around and galloping back into the woods with a flick of his bright white tail.

***

From below the surface, Harry tries to hold in his giggles, but can't help it any longer. He lets out a steady stream of bubbles from his wide, smiling mouth. His curly brown locks gently wrap around his face as he shakes his head with laughter. Sinking to the bottom of the shallows on his back, Harry watches the enraged Harpy circle above him in the air, flying in a frenzy. The water makes it hard to see him clearly, but Harry can tell he's swooping high and low in the air with so much rage, he looks like he's about to burst into flames.

The merman is quite pleased with another flawless execution. He's lost count of how many times he has won this game already, but he doesn't suppose he'll ever get tired of watching that feisty bird squawk. That little Harpy is remarkably determined.

Harry stretches his arms up behind his head in triumph. He lazily lifts his long tail up, then down again, patting the bottom of the sea to dredge up just enough sand to cloud him from the Harpy's view. Warm, pleased, and under the safety of the murky waves, Harry closes his eyes and smiles, blissfully unaware that the next time he wouldn't be so lucky.


	2. Feel The Waves Getting Started

 

**Harry's body is curled up so tightly,** the tips of his tail fin cover his face like a sleeping mask. The bright sun has been spilling into the water of the lagoon for a few hours now, but the reef is far too lovely at the moment to consider doing anything but soaking it all in. Harry squirms on the sea floor, stretching his arms out and rolling around in the sand before finally opening his eyes. He lazily looks about and yawns. A merman's life isn't half bad by any stretch of the imagination. The colours of the lagoon are vibrant and comforting, like living on the inside of an undulating rainbow. Rolling onto his stomach, Harry rubs the sleep out of his green eyes and starts waving his tail up and down in the shallow water, creating a soft sea wind that makes the reef plants around him dance.

From the sandy floor, Harry looks up above his head where a little clownfish has poked her head out of a pretty, pink anemone. The fish looks down at Harry, giving him a rather judgemental look for having such a late sleep-in.

"Wut are you lookin' at?" Harry drawls lazily, letting his curls float about his head. He blows a stream of bubbles above him that hit the fish's little orange face, making her shimmy-swim backwards into the plant again as Harry lets out a little chuckle.

"Oh, come on now..." he says to her, "was just kidding!" The merman lifts himself up on his forearms and puts his face up to the swaying anemone, pouting his lips into an exaggerated sad face. "You out of anyone should have a sense of humour, you know, being a clownfish and all."

When she doesn't respond, Harry rolls his eyes and lowers his voice pleadingly, " _Olivia..._ "

No answer. He raises his voice in a kind of mock sternness he only reserves for the smallest and sweetest of creatures.

"Olivia! I say get out of that polyp _right now_!"

Ever the drama queen, Olivia finally pokes her head out from the anemone's swaying limbs.

"There she is," Harry coos, going in to give her a little kiss on the head. But Olivia quickly shimmies back into the plant, avoiding his approach and letting Harry's nose make direct contact with the electric anemone, A painful shock is sent right through the tip of his nose and out the ends of his curls with a jolt. Harry leaps backwards with a stunned expression. He shakes his head from side to side trying to get rid of the tingling that has spread all over his face.

"Betrayed by bubbles!" he yells with exasperation, throwing his hands up into the water, "And on what was looking to be such a lovely Tuesday!"

He rubs his nose again to ease the ache, while his fried hair relaxes back down with the ebb and flow of the current. Harry glares at the now invisible Olivia inside her anemone.

"You can just stay right there, Olivia. Stay there!" He shouts but Olivia doesn't take the guilt bait for a moment. Harry resigns to just sticking his tongue out in her general direction and swims away with a grand swish of his tail.

*

Very much awake now after that morning electric charge, Harry swims out a little deeper towards the drop-off point. The water gets darker here and much cooler without the direct sunlight reaching down to the sloping seabed. The edge of the reef cuts off so quickly, Harry likes to hold onto the edge of the cliff with his hands and slide down the steep slope vertically, head first. He does this swiftly, letting his fin reach up above his head in an impressive handstand.

"Oh, Lima Bean..." Harry calls out as he begins to lower his head over the edge. Then, without warning, he's met with a hard slap in the face by a long, muscly tentacle.

"Hey!" Harry yells, grabbing the side of his face. The impact makes him to let go of the ledge, his body floating down to the opening of a small cave. The merman looks up and glares inside where a grinning hybrid sits atop a small boulder in hysterics. Half-man-half-octopus, Liam clutches the sides of his human torso in wild laughter, while seven of his eight tentacles are wrapped around a rock to keep him in place.

"What are you doing that for Liam?" Harry grumbles at him while rubbing the side of his face, "Slapping people with your damn suction cups. You know I dislike that very much."

Liam just doubles over again in a fit as bright red circles starting to appear on Harry's cheek. His free appendage comes forward to touch the sore spot with endearment.

"Get that thing away from me," Harry snaps at him, "I could have been an eel or a tiger shark, you know. How badly would you feel if you had just slapped a nasty eel in the face like that? I imagine you'd be looking a bit like calamari right about now."

"I knew it was you, Harry," says Liam, finally calming down a bit. "Could hear you singing all the way in the lagoon."

"First my little Olivia, and now you," Harry says, shaking his head. "What _is_   _wrong_ with today?"

"Oh, you're alright."

"Sure! Physically, I'm fine. But emotionally..." Harry runs his hands through his long locks as Liam gives him a pat on the back.

"My apologies, truly. What were ya singing anyways?" Harry looks up at him with eyes like lush algae, "In the lagoon..?" Liam clarifies.

Harry shrugs and plucks some sea grass off the side of the cave wall to suck on. "A song," he answers vaguely.

"I know that much, you overgrown filet!"

"I just heard it somewhere."

"Where exactly?" Liam presses him.

"Dunno! Woke up with it in my head is all."

Liam gives Harry a serious look. "You've been hanging around the shore, haven't you?"

"You know, if you put more energy in _not_ slapping your friends and _less_ energy into what I'm up to, I'm sure you'd be a much happier mollusc." Harry bubbles evasively.

Liam frowns seriously. "You don't think some fishermen would be much happier with you in a tank somewhere? To be prodded and gawked at like some fancy spectacle? I'm just looking out for you, lad."

Harry rolls his eyes, not keen on getting a lecture from someone who barely leaves his cave. "I heard it from the bird, okay?"

"What?"

"The song. The bird sang it."

"The Harpy?"

"That's the one. He was singing something like that yesterday with that goat."

"He's a Faun isn't he?" Liam corrects him.

"Sure. If you're an expert on land mammals."

"You know, you could try flirting with your own species sometimes too," Liam suggests to Harry, changing the subject with a shrug.

Harry snorts at the suggestion, shaking his brown curls away from his face. "Now, where is the fun in that?" He smirks, making two deep dimples appear in his cheeks. "Besides, I can't even get Olivia to like me and I literally saved her life from that predatory crab, remember? I suppose I'm just not the loveable type." Harry sits sadly on the edge of the cave and sighs, lowering his head to his chest.

"Oh, Harry..." Liam whispers. He moves over to sit close beside his friend, "You have all the love."

Harry barks out a pitchy laugh suddenly before pushing himself around and slapping Liam directly in the face with his fin in revenge.

"You did that on purpose!" Liam yells once he's recovered from the shock. 

"'Of course I did!" Harry giggles, swimming around in celebratory circles. Liam leaps off the edge of the cave and tackles Harry with his many slippery limbs. They wrestle around for a while in the water above the seafloor until Liam has Harry pinned without any means of escape.

"You know, it's not really fair to fight someone with five less limbs than you," Harry reasons with a strained groan, "I mean, this is practically bullying."

"You're just a sore loser," Liam says, releasing his grasp on the merman. Harry suddenly gets a glint in his eye that makes Liam frown.

"What...?" Liam asks him slowly.

"Want to go meet him?" Harry whispers.

"Who?" Liam asks.

"The Harpy! Who else?" Harry pushes away from Liam and spins around in the open water beyond the drop off. His green tail shimmering while his golden fin catches the small glints of sun that made it this far down.

"I'm not sure that's a great idea, Harry..." Liam starts to say, "My kind don't do so well in the shallows. We've got too much baggage," he says lifting his many limbs.

"It's fine, really! I've got it down to an art. Promise." And when Harry smiles so big and wide, Liam can't help but follow him.

"How are we supposed to find him?" Liam whines, trudging up the reef toward the shallow tidal pool. "I need at least five feet of water to be comfortable, you know. I don't remember you promising me five feet of water..."

"We're almost there," Harry calls back behind him. They reach the tidal pool and the water is so calm, any small breath would cause a ripple. The sunlight is nearly blinding even below the surface. The brightness giving everything a crystal clear, aquamarine shine.

"Does he know we're coming then?" Liam whispers. Harry doesn't answer right away. Instead he points to a small alcove by some protruding rocks.

"Sit here. It'll be deep enough for you. I'll go find him." Liam follows Harry's directions and sits in the cozy spot. At that moment, Liam hears a sound coming from the shore.

"What's that?" Liam asks, getting nervous all of a sudden.

"Just sit tight. Don't move until I come back." Harry is practically buzzing with excitement. "Get ready for a show!" He pushes Liam into the corner by the rocks and swims away like lightning.

"Wait, you're leaving me here?" Liam calls out, but Harry is already gone in a flurry of bubbles. Liam sinks down into the water as low as he can go and wonders why he ever decided to listen to that idiot.

*******

Harry's heart pounds hard inside his chest as he swims slowly into the shallow reeds of the tide pool. Harry has been baiting this creature for weeks, but he's never brought a friend along for the ride. It probably wasn't his best idea, come to think of it. He really has no clue what to expect. The last time he saw the Harpy, he looked so frustrated, maybe it was wrong to bring Liam here now. But he just got so excited. Besides, it's been so long since Liam had any fun. He's been holing himself up at the drop-off for ages. He's due for some adventure.

Harry floats to the surface but keeps his body safely under the water for the time being. His head placed strategically under a large lily pad, shielding him from any sightings from above. Before breaching the surface, he stops and listens, then cautiously, Harry lifts his head above the water, keeping the lilypad on his head like a fancy hat. He peers around the pool, barely letting more than his bottom lashes out of the water. Everything else is very, very still.

Unfortunately, the place is deserted. No Harpy. No Faun. No music. Harry's heart falls a little bit. He was really looking forward to some fun.

Then, he hears the unmistakable strum of a lute. Harry's eyes brighten as he lifts his body out of the water slightly to get a better look. A loud rustling in the reeds beside him makes his heart jump into his throat. Harry feels like he's about to burst with adrenaline. He needs to find Liam so he won't miss it.

Plunging into the water fast, he swims away with all his speed towards the rocks where he left his friend. When he doesn't see him right away, Harry breaks the surface of the water looking for Liam, whipping his hair behind him.

He squints in sunlight and sees him crouching in the water by the rocks, his face white, eyes widened in fear.

"Harry, _get down_!" Liam chokes out, but is cut off by a loud yell behind him.

The shadow is upon him in no time. The swishing sound of heavy wings sound in his ears, drowning out everything else. Liam's face is the last thing he sees before sharp talons are squeezing his shoulders tightly and lifting him up out of the water. The Harpy above him lets out a deafening shriek of victory before tossing Harry's whole body into the air, then grabbing him by the waist with an iron grip. Talons like sharp knives pierce the skin where his flesh meets scales. 

The last thing Harry sees is Liam's horrified expression under the water as he's whisked away, and the Faun dancing and whooping across the shore with glee.

 

 


	3. It's a Long Way Down From Here

 

 **Louis is on top of the world.** His prize fish is dangling securely from his talons as he soars through the air, letting his wings kiss the wisps of cloud as they pass. Louis flaps his wings gracefully, bringing them both higher into the air and feeling the breeze running through his hair. As a hunter, Louis expects all kinds of surprises when he's on the hunt. He expects a struggle that's usually chaotic and thrilling. He expects there to be blood and pleading, whether it's in the sound of squeaks, shrieks or yipping. He doesn't feel bad about it much anymore. He's not as sensitive as Niall when it comes to eating living things. It just comes with the territory. It is what it is.

One thing he does not expect is for his prey to be so silent. This fish hasn't struggled one bit since he lifted him in the air, not even a slight wriggle. It's also incredibly heavy. Now that Lou's found his optimal flying height, his legs begin to strain with the load, making him start to lose his grip on the slippery scales. This fish is huge, and it would be a real accomplishment on his part if he can finish it off properly without dropping it back into the sea. It's something he could tell his grandhatchlings about someday. That enormous Gold Tail.

Louis starts scanning below him for a rocky surface on which to land. He needs to bash this fish's face in and get this feast started before his legs break clean off. A Harpy isn't picky about these things. Any old knoll will do. Surveying below him, he finally finds something suitable. It's nothing more than a small flat rock face that has risen out of the water by a few feet, but it's hard and dry, so Louis turns towards the little island and begins to his descent.

But then, the most unexpected thing to ever happen in the history of Harpies, happens: his Gold Tail begins to sing below him. A deep, full sound floats from the fish's mouth up to Louis' ears. Louis jerks his body in surprise, losing one talon's hold on the fish. He shakes his head in disbelief. This fish is actually singing and it sounds like a baby angel.

At first, Louis thinks it might be a scared kind of humming. A swan song, perhaps. Most of his prey like to make desperate sounds before they're slaughtered, that's only natural. But none of them ever had a melody, or...lyrics? Normally Louis would ignore things like this and focus on the kill, and he tries to regain his grasp on it, until he realizes that he actually knows the words. It was the same song him and Niall sang a few nights ago on the beach.

Shocked, his talons let go of the fish entirely, letting it free fall away from him, tumbling towards the sea. It takes a second or two for Louis to realize what is happening - losing his gold tail - but when he finally snaps out of it a moment later, the Harpy dips into a nosedive towards it at full speed.

Louis barely catches the fish in time, but manages to grab hold of its slippery body by wrapping his arms and legs around it in an enormous bear hug. Unfortunately, the momentum makes them both spin around together in the air until it is Lou's body that ends up breaking their fall on the rock first. The fish lands directly on top of him a split second later with a heavy, wet _splat_ , and Louis' head slams into the hard ground before everything goes dark.  
  
  


*******   
  
  


When he opens his eyes, it's not the blue sky that he sees above him, but two shining green eyes. The eyes look terribly concerned,  topped with two eyebrows furrowed deeply and surrounded by a mess of curly brown hair hanging down in long, soft tendrils. The mouth attached to this strange face is moving rapidly, but Louis can't hear anything it's saying. Full pink lips curl around words that aren't making any sense to him. Then, like someone turned up the volume on the world, a deep, slow voice begins to sound into his ears.

Louis can just barely make out the words from the mouth before a splitting headache tries to tear his brain in half.

"Hi," Louis answers, gravelly. His head must have hit the rock pretty hard.

"Hallo yourself," the boy chuckles lowly, running his hands through his hair.

"Did we land on you?"

The big green eyes above him squint a little in amused confusion. They're bright and clear and everything else about him smells lightly of sea salt. The boy is leaning over him protectively, shielding the sun from Louis' face and body. He just wants to curl up under this stranger and sleep his ache away. Then Louis sees that the boy has one of his feathers stuck to his mouth. A big, fluffy brown one right on his plump lip. The boy doesn't seem to notice but as he speaks the feather moves up and down with his bottom lip. Louis isn't sure if it's the concussion or what, but he starts to giggle at the feather's quivering, and then he starts to giggle a lot. The laughter spills out of him uncontrollably until he is curling around himself in near-hysterics, tears in his eyes.

The boy above him can't help but laugh too, though his eyes are still entirely perplexed at the Harpy going absolutely crazy below him for no apparent reason. The boy's mouth open into a wide, and rather lovely smile, if Louis is being honest, making two big dimples bloom deeply on either side of his face.

"The _feather_..." Louis finally chokes out, and the boy finally moves his hand to his lip, finding it stuck there.

"So I'm hilarious to you, am I?" That smile could swallow him whole.

"Very," Louis responds, voice catching on a hiccup in his throat.

"Do you want to try sitting up?" the boy asks, and even though he has no idea who he is, Louis already feels like he can trust him. He nods, hiccuping once more, and the boy puts one hand around Lou's head and the other around his waist, helping him lift up slowly. After a moment, Louis begins to see stars, and reaches his arm out to brace himself, accidentally grabbing onto the boy's chest.

"Easy, Boo..." the boy says, gently.

"Boo?" Louis closes his eyes to get rid of the dizzy spell. His head throbs like it's been hit by a million hammers.

"Sorry..." the boy blushes a bit, "I suppose I don't know your name."

"I'm Lou."

"Hallo, Lou," says the boy with a smile, "I'm Harry."

"And what kind of a ridiculous name is..." Louis begins to grumble. Even in his state, he can't help but tease someone for a name like Haz. But then his smile evaporates as his eyes land on the golden fin resting against the rock. The fin, attached to a green fish tail, is attached to the body of the curly haired boy who just saved his life.

A merman. His Gold Tail was a merman? Named Harry?

Concussion or not, Louis is not about to deal with any of this fuckery right now. He lurches forward, trying to get to his feet.

"A lot of people call me Haz," Harry continues, "or Hazza. I really don't mind either. Is Lou short for something?" He stops abruptly when he sees that Louis is shaking and about to launch himself into the air. Louis stands weakly and kicks off the ground. He means to extend his wings out for takeoff, but his head spins with a sudden sharp pain. Instead of going up like he planned, he topples sideways, stumbling towards the cold, dark water. Louis braces himself, closing his eyes and preparing for the sudden shock of water, but it never comes.

Instead, he lands directly into two strong, dry arms as the merman catches him and cradles him effortlessly like a small baby above the water. If it was at all possible for Louis' face to melt off with embarrassment, it would have.

"Looks like we got a little too excited, didn't we?" Harry says shyly, and gently places Louis back safely on the rock. Once Harry let's go, Louis scurries backwards, as far away from the merman as possible. He can't bring himself to speak. Even a simple thank you would be nice, but he can't say a word. He won't. Instead he keeps his head down until the burning humiliation goes away. Harry doesn't move either. His tail and fin is hidden under the water now, but Louis knows it's still there.

"Does it hurt?" Harry asks quietly, and Louis finally looks up, "Your wing," he clarifies, pointing to his crooked left wing hanging limply on his back. Now that he's aware of it, it does sting quite a lot.

"A little," Louis responds quietly.

"Probably not a good idea to fly right away, then." Harry is trying to be kind, Louis knows this, but how can you be kind to something that wanted to kill you an hour ago? Louis' heart sinks like a stone with guilt.

"No," he answers, keeping his head down. His feet are splayed out in front of him and he clasps his hands together between them. He's never felt so useless or vulnerable in his entire life. Neither of them say anything for a few minutes. It's just the lapping sound of the water against the rock. Louis can't even see the shore from here. It's all sky and sea and him, on a tiny rock, alone, with a merman. He wouldn't be surprised if the merman sliced him open on the spot, opting for some kind of revenge attack. Instead, Harry just clears his throat gently and rests his arms on the edge of the rock.

"So...you're probably hungry?" Harry asks him, breaking the deafening silence. Louis looks up and Harry wiggles his ears eagerly, shaped like two miniature fins on the sides of his face. Louis can tell he's pleased to have found a mutual topic. Sure he's hungry. Wild animals are always hungry. But he can't bring himself to answer. What is he supposed to say? _Yes, as a matter of fact, I was planning on eating you before you saved my life, do y'mind if I give your flipper a nibble?_ What he wants to say is: _yes, he's bloody starving! His stomach is a twisted knot of hunger pangs, thank you very much._ But he can't do either, so he just nods instead.

"Good! So am I. Shall I get us something to share?" The merman dips low into the water, but stays put. Louis flicks his eyes up at him in annoyance. The merman is completely hidden underwater except for his green eyes that he's made so large and sparkling they could be actual planets with sophisticated civilizations of their own. His eyebrows are raised in an open question, as if he's waiting for Louis to give him permission to leave.

"Sure, get us something good then!" Louis snaps. Harry smiles in agreement and jumps into a perfect vertical swan dive. As he goes down he makes sure to flick his golden tail, splashing Louis lightly with water and a touch of embarrassment, before disappearing under the surface.

When he's gone Louis lets out a big, exasperated sigh. He rubs his shoulders where they connect to his sore wings. How on earth did he get here, and how in the hell is he going to escape?

 

 


	4. When You Go and I'm Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet faun!niall and octopayne

**As soon as Louis disappeared**  Niall's stomach started rumbling like he just swallowed an overactive beehive. He paced along the shoreline, rubbing his empty gut until it looked for certain like Louis wasn't coming back for a while. He was a tiny bit miffed that his friend didn't just drop his catch right onto the beach so they could all-you-can-eat-buffet the shit out of it immediately. But Louis had been talking up this meal for so long, Niall imagined he was probably just savouring the kill; he had earned it after all.

Niall and Louis had always made a good team. Louis was the thoughtful and strategic one, even if he could be a little too cautious at times. And Niall had the kind of raucous, wild energy that helped make things happen. Sometimes just having him around was the right kind of push Louis needed, and this latest collaboration between them worked like a charm.

The two of them made the perfect plan the night before: Louis would hid in the reeds by the edge of the water while Niall kept a lookout for signs of movement from the shore. That way, Louis would be closer to the water and could sweep in once Niall have him the signal. Niall would sit hidden against a tree trunk with a full view of the tidal pool. It was flawless.

After an hour or two of waiting, Niall started to get bored and began strumming casually on his lute. Then, after the fourth consecutive musical interruption, Louis' head popped up from the reeds like an angry jack-in-the-box.

"Stop that!" Louis hissed at him. "I keep thinking you're givin' me the signal."

Niall put his finger to his mouth, shushing Louis with a cheeky smirk. Louis rolled his eyes dramatically. "Keep making such a racket over there, and your little fishy will never come," Niall hissed back at him, struggling to hold a straight face.

"My racket!" Louis screeched, then lowered his voice quickly, "What about you!" He arched his back up and glared at him with such a heated look it could have melted snow.

"I'm enticin' it with me love songs!"

"You have the attention span of a bloody squirrel," Louis said rolling his eyes, prompting Niall to make a quick zipper motion along his mouth with his fingers.

"Alright, alright, m'done now, Lou. Promise."

"Thank you _very_ much," Louis sassed, crouching back down into the reeds.

Not long after that, Niall finally saw something pop out from under a lily pad. All he had to do was play the right chord and Louis was up in the air in an instant, claws out and shrieking like the ferocious predator that he was. It was truly impressive seeing him in action like that. Niall watched him leap into the air so quickly, if he had blinked he would have missed it. How Louis missed this fish so many times before was a mystery. Harpies have much better eyesight than Fauns, but maybe it was just one of those things, like saying the same word over and over again until it starts to sound wrong. Louis was just looking for it too hard to see it clearly.

Niall likes fish as much as the next Faun, but he was no hunter. Not like Louis. He mostly just splashed around in ponds looking for crawdads to pop unto his mouth, unless he ended up making eye contact with them first, then he'd settle for some wild berries. Niall wasn't picky, and he wasn't one to spend weeks stalking something for a single meal. Though, he had to admit, being with Lou this time around was rather exciting.

Niall gaped at the size of the fish as Louis pulled it out of the water. He didn't register the curly mop of hair or the dangling arms, choosing instead to do a celebration jig in the sand.

Now, the beach was quiet again except for Niall's growling belly. With one last look out to sea, Niall puts down his lute by the edge of the water and skips merrily into the woods, in search of a snack while he waits for Lou to get back with his dinner.

*******

Liam's hands and tentacles are quivering so badly his body is starting to makes ripples in the water. He cowers behind the rock, the same spot where Harry left him only a few moments ago and his chest rises and falls in deep terrified breaths. He can't move. Of course he can't move. He just saw his best mate get pulled from the water right before his eyes. It all happened so fast, Liam can barely wrap his head around the details, but he tries, squeezing his eyes shut: they were both in the tide pool. Harry left him here and swam away. And then there was a yell, and some kind of musical sound, a deafening screech...and then that piece of shit Harpy snatched Harry by the shoulders and disappeared with him out to sea.

Liam starts to pant. Harry and his stupid ideas. Harry, the carefree, hair-flipping, Harpy-baiting idiot.

Maybe he'll be just fine, Liam thinks, slowing down his breathing enough so that he can at least stop his hands from shaking. Maybe he'll manage to wriggle free. He's always been resourceful. There have been plenty of close calls in the past and Harry always turns out alright. Maybe if he just swims in the same direction as the Harpy, he'll eventually run into Harry gleefully celebrating another great escape.

 _"Didn't I tell you, Li?"_ Liam imagines Harry saying while doing graceful somersaults in the water, _"shoulda seen the look on his face!"_

Yes, that's exactly what happened. Another great escape by the world's dumbest merman. Something they'll surely laugh about later, once Liam gets his tremors under control.

It isn't until Liam's tentacles start to cramp up that he notices how tense he still is. His entire body is knotted up into a tight little ball. He doesn't like the shallows on a good day, and now he's certainly never coming back to a tide pool any time soon. He wants to be back in his cave, in the dark, where he can see only the bare blue sea for miles and miles. He feels far too exposed in these bright waters. That Harpy stole away all of his sense of security _and_  with his best mate. That asshole.

Deciding that he needs to help Harry, Liam devises a plan. He can't do anything hiding away under this rock. Maybe if he climbs out onto the beach he'll be able to see the Harpy out on the horizon somewhere. Wherever the bird is, Harry is bound to be near, hopefully still alive and not shredded like salmon by now. Maybe if he can see him from here, Liam can follow him and, with luck, get to Harry in time.

Liam takes several deep breaths, then pauses. He prepares himself for the surface, listening intently for any signs of movement out there. When he's sure there's nothing, he lifts his body out of the water and lets his tentacles carry him out onto the top of the rock. The sun's heat hits him like a hot iron once he's out of the water. He'll only have a few minutes out here before he starts to get dry and uncomfortable. Liam surveys the expansive sea from above the water and his heart hitches in his chest when he sees nothing. Nothing but gentle blue waves for miles. He has no way of finding Harry now.

Defeated, he starts to turn towards the shore when notices something sitting on the beach.

Cautiously, he slides up towards the beach, letting the warm waves coax his body gently forward. When he gets close enough, he reaches out with his closest tentacle and picks up the object, bringing it into his arms.

Liam inspects the instrument: a wooden lute. He holds the lute in position against his body. It's small and worn smooth with wear. He quite likes it, actually. Feels nice. He drags his fingers across the strings a little. Sounds nice too. Liam strums louder, trying out the different sounds it can make with curious amusement. The music is so pleasant, he momentarily forgets where he is, and doesn't notice the sound of hooves coming towards him from behind the thick line of trees.

*******

Breaching the edge of the tree line, Niall's horn gets caught on a branch. Typical. This seems to happen to him more often than not. For a forest-dweller, he hates the bush as it always seems to jostle him around. Being a bipedal Faun, his balance isn't the greatest to begin with. Add in some low-hanging vines and surround him with knotted twigs and the woods are basically one big booby trap waiting to ensnare him. With a final yank, Niall finally gets his horn free and stumbles onto the clearing of the beach, bringing a few leafy vines along with him. He takes a large bite from a wild potato he'd found in the woods and smiles. There's nothing better than finding a potato. They're moist and starchy and satisfying on all levels and should do him just fine until Louis gets back.

Niall keeps his head down, shaking the vines and other leafy bits from his curled horns. He takes another loud crunch from his snack before looking up to water where, to his utter shock, sees an eight-tentacled boy bloody _murdering_ his beloved lute with his fat fingers. Niall lets the fresh mouthful of half-chewed potato drop right out of his mouth and onto the sand before dashing behind the nearest tree to hide.

Hidden from it's view, Niall grips the tree trunk behind him for dear life. His breath comes out hard and fast, eyes bulging out of his face with utter terror. This is his nightmare come true. There is a squid - an octo - a _something_ \- in the shallows. It is real. Sure, maybe when he tells his sea monster story to friends, he exaggerates a wee bit. It was always sort of a joke, something to tell at forest socials. He's pretty sure it was only seaweed that wrapped around his ankles that one time anyways, but what kind of a story would that be for a gathering? Now he's seen the real thing with his own eyes. It's sitting right there on the beach. Half man-half octopus: a Cecaelia in the flesh. And that arsehole is most definitely holding his lute.

After a few moments of wild panic Niall finally tries to pull himself together and swallow his fear. He is not about to let some slimy sea demon trap him behind a tree like a scared little pygmy goat. He is strong and brave and nobody startles a Faun like that and lives to tell the tale.

At least, that's what he tells himself so his knees don't give out from under him. He stops and listens to the monster on the beach brutally killing the world's music as he knows it. He will not be terrified and tortured with his own instrument on the same day. Not _this_ Faun. Niall lets go of the tree trunk and inhales sharply.

"I'M COMING OUT, YA NASTY BUGGER!" he screams out loud, his voice cracking near the end and coming out much more shrill than he was hoping for. The music on the beach instantly stops, which gives him the last bit of nerve he was missing. Niall won't be relegated to ponds and creeks anymore. Niall deserves to feel safe in the sea like any other creature, and if head-butting the ever-loving shit out of a disgusting squid man is the way to get over that fear, he'll be damned if he doesn't at least try.

Niall digs his hooves into the ground and lowers his head, horns poised at the ready for a right pummelling.

*******

The bleating shriek from behind the tree scares the ever-loving shit out Liam, so much that all the colour instantly drains from his face. He freezes and snaps his eyes up towards the noise but sees nothing around him but trees and sand.

"R'YA READY!?" the voice yells again.

Liam jumps about a foot in the air and suctions onto the rock beneath him for dear life. Before he can react further, he hears aggressive grunts and a scraping of hooves coming from behind the large oak in front of him. Liam doesn't wait to see who or what it is. He flings the lute onto the beach in a panic and leaps backwards into the waves with a giant, messy splash. He swims away faster than he ever has in his life, leaving an embarrassing spray of ink behind in his wake.

 

 


	5. Wish it Wasn't True

**Harry can't help but swim in wide fancy spirals** while he searches for something suitable to bring his new friend Lou.

Lou. Loouuu. He can barely say it without a grin spreading across his face like a sun rash. He knew there was something about that bird, ever since he saw him preening on that oak branch by the water.

So, maybe his little game didn't exactly turn out the way he had planned. Instead of an exciting chase with Liam, he and Lou ended up soaring above the water and nearly plunging to their deaths. So what? The soaring bit was fun at least, and the closest Harry has ever been to flying was when he managed an impressive backflip after Liam bet him he couldn't go any higher than a bottlenose dolphin. But flying like _that_ was something else entirely.

Still, It's not really how he envisioned meeting Lou for the first time face-to face. After weeks of baiting the bird and shaking his fin at him like live tackle, he thought at the very least they might start with a civilized conversation. If Harry hadn't been so focussed on getting Lou to open his eyes after they fell, he would have tried to pay more attention to the face they were attached to, the same face he'd been so very curious about for such a long time. He finally had the chance to see it up close: eyes closed, body shrouded in a mess of caramel-coloured feathers that matched the shaggy mop of hair falling over his heavy lids. Lou even had a little bit of scruff spattered across his chin. The way his pink lips were parted slightly reminded Harry of a tiny sleeping hedgehog.

Okay, so maybe he did manage to soak in every detail, though somehow it still didn't feel like enough.

Hm. Lou.

Harry can't help but say it again out loud. He wants to get back to him as soon as possible, back to those heavy blue eyes that seemed to sad when he left. Harry is sure he could brighten them up, if he could only find him something tasty.

Harry makes his way towards the reef where all the delectables grow, and tries to think of what would be the most appropriate choice for a Harpy like Lou. He doesn't know much about their diets, really. But all mammals should have some things in common, right? He passes a bunch of swaying beetroots first, but shakes his head disapprovingly. _Everyone, even Harpies, must collectively hate those,_ he thinks and keeps moving.

Harry couldn't remember what exactly lead him to the beach where he first saw Lou. He was exploring, as usual, letting the currents guide him to little coves and shallows. It's how he first met Liam and Olivia, many moons ago, wading around by accident and following reflections and shadows. Liam always berates him about being too adventuresome, but ol' daddy Lima Bean has never enjoyed the thrill of finding new things like Harry does.

Nearing the edge of the reef, Harry still hasn't found one suitable thing to bring back with him. If only he knew what Harpies went crazy for. Tossing his hair behind him, he exhales some exasperated bubbles before colliding into a blockage of purple tentacles with enough force to spin him around, ass over fin.

"Harry!" comes a muffled shout from the centre of the mass and Harry immediately recognizes the rubbery wall as Liam, who hugs him nearly to death with all ten of his muscly limbs.

"Lima! you're squeezing meh! Stop it, stop!" Harry shouts, slapping the constricting appendages with his free hand. He struggles against his friend's grip, but Liam is in absolutely no hurry to let him breathe.

"What happened?" Liam asks frantically, holding the merman's face up to his protectively. His eyes are so wide with worry, "I've been absolutely sick about you!"

"Nothing happened," Harry shrugs, pulling himself away from Liam. He swipes his finger along a nearby rock, licking the algae off his finger. He makes a sour face and a mental note:  _much too herby for a Harpy._ "Seen any sea kelp 'round here, Li?"

Liam blinks at him. "Kelp? Why? Harry, what happened out there? Where is the Harpy?"

"Oh, he's fine!" Harry drawls, avoiding Liam's eyes and Liam wants to suction-smack him right upside the head.

"Well, I don't much care about the damn bird's well being Haz."

"Then why'd you ask?"

Harry then turns and puts one hand on his waist and the other up to his ear in a cheeky sideways pose before spinning into another aquatic twirl causing Liam to huff out a long stream of air. Harry's distracted non-answers and incessant flitting about is making him dizzy, and also a little concerned for his friend's mental health. Last time Liam saw Harry, he was basically on his way to be slaughtered. Now, he's doing water-pirouettes and collecting sea kelp like nothing out of the ordinary. Liam reaches out and grabs Harry's shoulders and looks him hard in the eyes.

"Hey, Harry? HEY! Can you _please_ stop for just one bloody minute?"

"What is it, Li?" Says Harry, batting his eyelashes with the sort of cheek only Harry can pull off. Impatiently, Harry arches backwards into a slow back bend until he's nearly upside down. Liam stares down at his friend, who, for all he can tell, looks completely unharmed. In fact, he looks so content he's practically vibrating. Besides being slightly more erratic than usual, the merman is fine, albeit still a wanker. Liam sighs with defeat.

"I just... wanted to make sure you're alright. Alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Harry shrugs before swimming away from Liam in a flourish of glittering fins.

"Where are you going now?" Liam calls out to him, but Harry doesn't look back.

 

*******

Louis stands patiently on the edge of the little island, rolling his shoulder muscles back and forth in an attempt to get his wings to loosen up a bit. When he tries to stretch them out for the hundredth time that morning, the same sharp twinge makes him pull them back. They're still broken, which means he's still stuck on this rock until who-knows-when. Louis groans with frustration. He does not like being grounded at all. He's not a very big creature so being able to literally hover above everyone else is his best bragging right and now it's gone.

He squeezes his fists and gives his wings one last push outward, but it throbs so much he has to stop and sit down.

Suddenly the sound of ripples in the water makes him spin around just in time to see a slimy pile of greens land beside him on the rock. Louis goes to inspect the strange pile but gets his hand slapped away instantly by a disembodied arm flying out of the water.

"Not yet!" the merman scolds him with a smirk as he breaches the surface. He leans his body up against the edge of the rock and begins separating the greens into two piles. Louis cocks his head sideways and silently watches Harry place each pile into the hollowed out oyster shells he brought with him. Harry gives Louis another little smirk before topping each portion with a bright yellow sea blossom.

"Ta-da!" he beams.

Louis looks at the offering and can't help but think it looks like its already been chewed and swallowed. He stares at the slop of seaweed and does his best to smile. The growling in his stomach is getting harder and harder to ignore, but he's still not sure he's ready to quench it with this.  

"May I join you?" Harry asks him obliviously, motioning to a spot on the rock. Louis nods his approval and Harry jumps up onto the edge beside him, letting his tail swish in the water. Catching the eager look on Harry's face Louis takes the oyster shell gingerly and places it on his lap.

"Well...this is...really something, Haz," says Louis and winces reflectively.

Harry's face drops with disappointment. "You don't like it?" 

"No, I do! I really do." Louis quickly lies to him. He can't seem to handle those eyes looking at him all big like that, so he quickly brings the salty, wet, _pungent_ greens to his mouth and slurps the whole thing down as quickly as possible. Swallowing it all with an audible gulp, Louis smacks his lips and hums an approving _mmmm_ sound in Harry's direction, making his fin-like ears perk up happily. The smile that spreads across his dewy face makes Lou forget the bitter taste almost instantly.

"Thank you, Harry." Louis says, covering his mouth with his hand to muffle a burp. Harry keeps grinning at him in a way that makes Louis' face feel hot. He puts down the oyster shell beside him and lets Harry eat the rest of his meal in silence while his own stomach tries to understand what the hell just happened to it.

Louis gazes at Harry intently while he eats, still unsure of what _the_ hell is going on here. Harpies don't do so well with friendships, especially Harpies like Louis. He is often moody, always stubborn, and on one of his bad days, even Niall prefers to keep his distance, so why this merman keeps coming around him is unnerving him greatly.

The silence between them doesn't seem to bother Harry, though. He just sits there comfortably, despite the two of them being total strangers. When he's finished his greens, Louis watches him toss his yellow blossom into the air and catch it with his mouth. Next, he grabs the oyster shell in his outstretched hand and throws it into the sea like a glimmering frisbee. His dark hair is beginning to dry in the sun, the ends dripping bits of salt water down his smooth chest to his navel and Louis' eyes unconsciously travel downward along Harry's lean body, where flesh delicately turns into shimmering emerald scales. His eyes stay there, locked, until he notices a series of deep red cuts speckled across Harry's waistline.

"You're hurt!" He exclaims, flinging his arms out to touch the deep puncture wounds. Harry winces at the contact, making Louis yank his hands back apologetically. "What happened?"

"Oh, just some old Harpy tossing me up in the air like a pancake is all. Nothing unusual," Harry smiles sheepishly. 

 _"I did this to you?_ " Louis squawks.

"You did." Harry says, with too much kindness to be real.

Louis looks down at his talons and, sure enough, he sees the sharp tips of each one coloured deep red with drying blood and frowns. He knows he' a vicious creature, but now this merman is making him feel like a horrible, terrible, inconsiderate, murderous piece of garbage.

"All in good fun, though, right?" says Harry with a small smile before looking away.

Louis stares at Harry for  a long moment, considering that maybe he had no idea he was about to be killed and eaten in the most brutal way. Nobody would be treating their captor like this if they were aware of that fact. Harry wouldn't be bringing them kelp salads with sea blossoms or shrugging off injuries like they were mere accidents. He wouldn't be doing anything but despising Louis forever.

If he could fly right now, Louis would have left the rock immediately. He would get the hell away from Harry and his kind green eyes because he certainly doesn't deserve them at all. He shouldn't be shown any shred of kindness now, and he's not about to let that poor merman believe otherwise.

 

 


	6. Roll in the Darkness

**"I am, in fact, a wild animal,"** Louis quips at Harry, who is staring at him from the edge of the rock, "and I've managed many years out here on me own without a merman for a babysitter. I think I can stand one more night alone."

Harry frowns at the him from the water. "You've never been this far from home, though," he says seriously.

"You've been spying on me or something?"

"No..."

Louis doesn't notice Harry's cheeks turning pink. "Maybe Harpies migrate," he says defensively, "maybe we go for ski holidays in the Appalachians. You don't know. We could be world travellers!"

"I don't think you are," Harry smirks shyly. Louis puts his hands on his waist and scowls at him.

"And why is that exactly? Do I not look worldly enough for you?" Louis tries to give his voice a dismissive edge, but it just comes out as cheeky. Popping his hip out probably didn't help. He's been doing his best to get rid of Harry all day, but nothing seems to be working. Instead they've started up a steady stream of conversation topics including their favourite kind of weather (Harry's is sunny days, Lou's is overcast), which has somehow ended up with Louis having to defend his ability to take care of himself overnight. Harry is apparently a merman of very little faith. Are all mermen supposed to be this protective? He doesn't seem to notice any of Louis' efforts to get rid of him at all, or his increasingly frustrated attitude. Or if he does, he's acting quite oblivious.

"If you were a really a world traveller, Lou..." Harry muses, "I reckon you'd be able to stomach that seaweed a little better, for starters." He does his best not smile, which makes his whole face go crooked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Louis scoffs, crossing his arms.

Harry giggles and splashes his tail behind him. "You put on a good show though, Grade A performance. My feelings would have been spared completely if it weren't for that massive shudder you made after eating."

"I did not shudder!" 

"Lou, you're whole body is made of this lovely, tufty plumage," Harry smiles kindly, "I saw you shudder."

"Well..." Louis starts, feeling his cheeks grow hot for the second time that day, "if it weren't for that pathetic look you gave me then...I mean, how would you have reacted to someone looking at you like that?"

"So, you _were_ worried about my feelings?" Harry nestles his head in his arms, giving Louis an innocent look.

"Oh, come off it!" Louis throws his hands up, "I'm basically at your mercy here! We may not be _world travellers_ as you so kindly pointed out, but Harpies aren't stupid. I'm not about to anger the beast by insulting his fancy luncheon."

"I am a beast." Harry agrees with a grin, flicking his tail in the water happily, "you could even call me ferocious."

Louis snorts at the merman and his tousled curls framing the same happy-go-lucky expression he's had on since this morning. He's never seen anything more un-ferocious in his life. "Yeah, like a guppy," Louis snarks.

"Oh!" Harry exclaims clapping his hands together and surprising Louis enough that he jumps. "I love guppies!" He pulls himself up onto the rock a little with excitement. "They are highly adaptable, you know. Plus, we have a lot in common! Male guppies have colourful, ornamental fins, like me." He flips his tail up out of the water behind him to demonstrate, "It's supposed to help them attract a mate." 

Louis' eyes go wide as he thinks back to how drawn he was to Harry's golden fin too, so much so that it nearly made him violent. Did Harry know that? Did he bait him on purpose? Is he aware of the effect he has on others, and on him? These questions flit through his mind while his face flushes to a bright scarlet as Harry keeps going on and on about guppy biology.

"...and then some just call them Rainbow fish," Harry finishes his lesson. Louis snaps back to reality seeing Harry's proud expression gazing up at him.

"All highly educational, Haz," Louis says trying to sound casual, "but that wasn't really the reaction I was going for when I called you one. They are supposed to be pathetic."

"I know. Sorry." Harry blushes, slipping back into the water, "I just like to study them." 

"Rainbow fish?" Louis raises his eyebrows.

"Well, yeah..." he mumbles, "they are generally found in schools. Ha!" Harry laughs out loud at his own joke. 

Louis rolls his eyes. It's hard to stay bothered by someone that gets this excited over a little rainbow fish. It's hard to be bothered by Harry at all. He just won't let you, with all the smiling and cajoling and the dimples that just won't quit. Louis really needs him to go so he can finally relax a bit.

"D'you know what they call naked fish?" Harry asks him with a sly wink. Another wink. Does this merman have a medical condition? Louis pauses and gulps dryly, trying not to let his eyes wander over to Harry's sun-kissed shoulders.

"No. what?"

"Bare-a-cudas!"

There is a beat of silence before Louis groans with understanding. He has to cover his face to hide his smile while Harry giggles proudly from the water. "That was terrible. I have second-hand embarrassment for you."

"Have it your way then." Harry sing-songs before pushing off the the edge of the rock and doing a backstroke out to sea. "But if ya change your mind, you know where I'll be..."

"Yeah, mate, twenty-thousand leagues with the rest of the ferocious guppies." Louis quips.

Harry stops in the water. "No Lou. That's a giant squid. I'm a mermaid," he says, batting his eyelashes and flipping his hair back dramatically.

"Yes you are, and a horrible braggart if I'm being quite honest," Louis chirps back, "Go on, then. Let me get some winks." 

Winks. Louis cringes at his word choice, but Harry doesn't seem to notice. He's already trailing away from the rock.

"Right. G'night then, _Louueh..._ " Harry calls out before dipping below the surface and disappearing from view.

* * *

Finally alone, Louis looks around. The sun has disappeared beyond the horizon too, bathing the open sea in a blanket of indigo.

In the quiet now, Louis lies flat on his back thinking about the last 24 hours. He thinks about Niall on the shore, probably wondering where the hell he went with his food. He chuckles thinking about the face Niall will make when he tells him he made friends with dinner. Harry is not much of a feast anymore. Well...maybe for the eyes.

No. Louis furrows his brow and shakes his head back and forth. Thinking about mermen is the last thing he should be doing right now. He should be focusing on mending his wing so he can get off this rock. He should be thinking about food and flying far away from here. He should be focussing on anything other than guppy-loving mermen with highly distracting ornamental fins and bad jokes named Harry.

And to think all of this started because Niall insisted he was the better chef out of the two of them. Louis chuckles at the very idea. Potato stew is basically slop. Though, seaweed salad is too, he supposes. The wind starts to pick up around him, blowing coolly across his face. Louis pulls his wings around his body for warmth. He curls his legs up under them too and shields his face, becoming one large pile of, what did Harry call it? Tufty plumage.

He closes his eyes, finally inviting himself to sleep.

*** * ***

 

Louis is jolted awake by the sudden wash of cold water over his face as he slides uncontrollably into the sea. His eyes can't make anything out, but he's moving, quickly, in the dark. Feeling his heart leap from his chest in scared confusions, he finds his wings won't move at all, despite his frantic attempts at flailing. Something is holding onto him and dragging him away, under. As his head is submerged, he starts choking on the waves that splash viciously against his face. Then his body starts to sink. The water surrounding him far too quickly for him to react properly.

He strains his neck to get his head above the water. It's nearly pitch black everywhere. He can't see the island at all, or where the sea and sky separate into two. Holding his head up as best he can, Louis feels mounting panic rise in his chest. He lets out a desperate screech into the air as something large and invisible grabs hold of his whole body and starts to squeeze it with unbelievable strength. Louis feels like his insides are going to burst. He thrashes about with his body but the hold on him is so tight, he barely moves.

Swallowing a mouthful of water, he realizes his legs are still free from whatever it is that has him tied. He begins kicking his talons around frantically in the water, looking for something to grip onto before he's completely submerged. His left foot finds a moving, slippery mass below him and he he digs his claws into it with all his remaining strength. The thing around him shouts in pain, whipping what looks like a long arm out of the water.

Louis nearly chokes out a laugh, suddenly imagining a school of ferocious guppies coming up from twenty thousand leagues. It's such a random thought that's in no way funny, but he can't help it. His reaction is hysterical, but it's all he can do to keep himself from completely losing control of his nerves. Louis is in trouble and unless he suddenly wakes up from a horrifyingly vivid nightmare, he's likely going to drown.

Louis feels something smooth and cold snake its way around his neck, so he bites down hard on the rubbery flesh. Another pained yelp comes from somewhere behind him, and Louis grunts with this small triumph. He flails his body around more, desperately trying to keep his head above the water. He pinches his claws again and again, ripping away at anything that they manage to find. He needs to get out of this now. Eventually, with a flood of relief, Louis feels the grip around him start to loosen.

He paddles wildly as soon as his arms are freed, but the feeling is short lived. Louis suddenly feels his body start to sink fast like a stone. His heavy, wet wings weigh him him down, pulling him into the darkness of the sea. Louis kicks his feet and struggles to swim upwards. He only makes it to the surface for one desperate breath before slipping back under.

From somewhere in the distance, Louis hears a loud yell echoing in the air, but there's no sign of movement nearby except for his own frenzied thrashing. The waves around him are relentless, smashing into him over and over without a moment to breathe or rest. His bruised, sopping wings feel like boulders on his back, pulling him back down harder every time he tries to make it up for air.

After several minutes of trying to stay afloat, Louis' feels his body growing tired. Even lifting his arm to keep afloat feels like torture. The water feels frigid cold as the hot adrenaline starts to leave him. He can't make himself move for another minute. He can't.

Waves roll over his head, into his eyes, his ears, his mouth.

He can't do it.

Taking one final big breath, Louis stops kicking and lets the crushing weight around him drag him down. It only takes a moment for the sea to swallow him whole.

 

 


	7. Don't let me go

**CONCERNING HARPIES**

_There is an old saying that states birds of a feather will flock together, but the one who made that assumption has evidently never met a Harpy._

_Found primarily in dark, wooded forests, Harpies are excessively private birds of prey who prefer to nest in only the highest trees. This reclusive behaviour alone should give an indication of the rarity in sightings. To say it is difficult to find a Harpy would be an understatement, unless, of course, you can recognize the (very few) signs._

_Those who have never encountered a Harpy often believe them to be repellent, bad tempered annoyances who scavenge for meals and engage in aggressive noise making. But they are simply a misunderstood breed. In truth, Harpies are sensitive, introspective, highly intelligent animals, though often their overactive imaginations do get the better of them._

_The temperament of the Harpy has been described as proud and assertive, though some speculate that this is a front meant to intimidate potential enemies. Harpies are also thought to be loyal, kind, and wise creatures, once you've looked past their outward facade. When comfortable Harpies will even display bouts of silliness and humour and become vocally melodic and quite generous when trying to woo a new friend or suitor. Though traditionally quite smol for a bird of prey, they like to show off their strengths nonetheless and this confidence often makes them appear larger and more intimidating than they really are._

_Harpies have a fondness for fish and small game, and will stay well clear of humans or other unfamiliar creatures as they are not very social animals. Hunting Harpies is often a disappointing venture as they are not easily spotted, let alone captured. Though, if one does find an opportunity to ensnare one, the most direct approach is to defeat it with a game of wits._

***

**[Chapter 7]**

All the noise and harrowing chaos of the surface is gone and surrounding Louis there is only darkness and the slow, dull drumming in his ears as they begin to pop with the increasing pressure of the sea around him.

Louis lets his arms float gently above his head. Though his body is limp and suspended in the water, he can feel his chest constrict with tightness. With his eyes closed he pictures how his body must look, just one small, insignificant spec surrounded by nothingness. As he descends lower and lower, Louis starts letting the last of his air out through his nose and tries to channel his thoughts towards the comforting warmth of his home in the shallows, and the calm, gentle sounds of Niall's lute.

His happy place has always been the beach. Even though Harpies are supposed to prefer the shrouded darkness of the woods, he loves the feeling of the sun on his face. He likes watching the beams of light dance across the lilting edges of the seemingly endless waves. He likes feeling small like that, with the wide world in front of him. He does not like feeling small like this, not trapped and waiting for the end. With his eyes closed, Louis imagines his perch on the old oak tree where he would watch the world unravel day after day. He never thought of what it might mean to die, let alone perish out here in the sea, so far from anything he's ever known or loved.

Niall will never know what happened to him.

Neither will Harry.

Louis' feels a pinch deep within his chest.  _Harry._

A force beside him in the water pushes Louis's body sideways and startles his eyes open. The black of the sea is so penetrating, he can't make anything out, until he feels something grip him strongly around the waist and yank him upwards towards the surface. Louis is suddenly thrown from the water and lands with a heavy thump back on land. Disoriented, Louis stares up at the black sky, gaping for breath, until a face appears above him.

"Lou?" comes Harry's voice, low and urgent. Louis would scream with relief if he could do anything at all, but the wind had been knocked clean out of him and he's struggling to breathe. Even in the dark, Louis can see that Harry's pupils are blown wide with a mix of fear and wild adrenaline. His hair drips down onto Louis' face and his chest heaves up and down like he's just raced across the world. The kind, softness of his face is gone and instead Harry clenches his jaw tightly, staring at Louis with such a fervent intensity that almost frightens him more.

When Louis doesn't respond right away, Harry bends over him and roughly presses his mouth over his, attempting to blow air into his lungs, to which Louis immediately reacts by coughing up a mouthful of saltwater. Harry jerks his head backwards and sighs with relief, wiping away the water with his hand.

"M'okay," Louis sputters finally, and puts his thumb up to prove it. Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Harry gives Louis a quick nod before leaping off the rock into the sea.

Breathing deeply, Louis turns to his side, but he's so waterlogged he can barely lift himself up. His wings hang off of him like a thick blanket that's been drenched, and he keeps choking up more and more water with every breath. The air is bitingly cold, but the feeling of the wind is a welcome confirmation that Louis is still very much alive.

When he finally gathers himself together, Louis begins to make out the sound of yelling coming from the sea. He hears Harry's voice first, a deep, rumbling bellow ringing out into the air. His eyes start to adjust to the white light of the moon. Blinking away the salt and wind from his eyes, Louis can just barely make out two figures grappling and splashing several feet from the rock where he lies. Both are throwing their arms up and thrashing about in an all-out brawl. One of them, of course, is Harry, made evident by the long hair that whips from side to side. The other one, Louis can't be sure. Harry is blocking most of it's shape, that is, until Louis sees a host of long tentacles burst from the water with a splash. Several of them wrap around Harry's shoulders, making Louis squawk weakly from the rock. He realizes with a shudder that those tentacles must have been what grabbed him. The thing yells back at Harry in an unfamiliar voice, shoving him with it's long slippery limbs. Louis can only hear parts of the argument in clipped bits and pieces, cut off by the whistling wind and the hard slaps of water against the rock.

"He nearly ripped me apart!" The thing shouts, pointing towards Louis on the rock. If Louis was in any shape to do anything at all, he'd fly over there in a flash and gauge those slimy eyes out. But then Harry shouts back at it with such ferocity, it makes Louis just want to curl up and hide.

With all the sounds and the throbbing in his head and body, Louis cannot gather any understanding around what is happening. One minute he's sleeping soundly, the next he's being strangled, then he recovers to find a merman giving him mouth-to-mouth and defending him against a veritable sea monster. Everything about his life is just getting stranger and stranger every day and Louis isn't sure he can take much more of it.

Harry's voice rings out again, loud and gruff.

"You tried to drown him, Liam!"

Liam. The monster has a name.

"....was trying _to help, Haz_!" Louis hears Liam respond. The sound of Harry's name coming out of Liam's mouth makes Louis emit a small growl to his own surprise.

Then, a little alarm inside his brain goes off and Louis remembers what he saw when he flew away from the shallows with Harry. It was Liam. Hiding down by the rocks. Liam saw the whole thing and Louis would bet his life that Liam is not disillusioned enough to believe Louis snatching Harry was all just a harmless game. No, Liam knew exactly what Louis was planning for him and he came here to protect his friend. It all seems like a lifetime ago now, but Louis' heart sinks with the realization. He can't bring himself to look up at the creature again for fear he might notice his guilty conscience. But he doesn't have to because Harry is swimming back towards him already.

" _Harry_!" Liam shouts from a ways away, but he doesn't turn round to look at him. Harry doesn't even slow down, but dives directly underwater instead.

Louis and Liam make eye contact for a split second. Louis can't make out the details of his face, but the way he stops and stares at him makes Louis stop breathing altogether. Then, Liam too disappears underwater and for a brief moment Louis is alone with the sea. It's just enough time for everything that has happened to him so far to collide together into one hard knot in his stomach. Louis' breath hitches with stifled sob before a small splash signals Harry's arrival on the rock.

"Lou..." he whispers gently.

"He seems like a nice lad." Louis responds meekly, because it's the only things he can manage to put into words right now. Harry's stops, his body stiffening with anguish, but then Louis starts to shake uncontrollably. His wet feathers are hanging off him heavily, still soaked to the core, as his small frame quivers with something more that just the cold.

From the corner of his eye he sees Harry's body soften as it moves in closer to him. He reaches Louis and, without pause, wraps himself around Louis' shaking body, cradling him with his long arms. His teeth are chattering so hard it feels like they may break his whole jaw in half.

Lou never would have guessed a merman could emanate so much heat, but Harry's body is like a furnace compared to his, which is shaking like a leaf. He gives up trying to fight it, and just let's himself curl up into the merman's arms.

Around them the sea waves finally settle into a calm, lapping lull against the island. In the silence, it feels like nothing else exists but the two of them under the watchful eye of the moon. It's only now that Louis feels safe enough to sleep. He's so very tired, it's like he's been drained of all the energy he's ever had or ever will have again. And his heart feels empty too, but Louis isn't about to face any of that now. He can't bring himself to do anything except listen to Harry's chest as it beats rhythmically into his ear; it's the sound of a heart that is still so selfless and brave.

Finally, when he's calm and warmed, Harry lifts his head off the top of Louis' shoulder and starts to pull away, but Louis grasps onto his arms, tugging him closer.

"D'ya mind staying a little longer, Harry?" 

He mumbles it so quietly, it's barely audible at all over the wind.

Louis is too exhausted to be embarrassed for asking, but when Harry nods, running his hand through Louis' damp hair, it feels like that last bit of weight has been lifted from him. Harry pulls him in closer and doesn't dare move an inch until the sunlight finally cracks the horizon with a welcoming pink glow.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	8. "The sky fell down"

When Harry wakes up, it takes a moment for him to realize that the soft, downy blanket wrapped around him is actually the wing of a Harpy. He reaches up to touch the ends of the feathers that graze his chin and shoulders, carefully making sure that, no, he's not just imagining things, and yes, Louis does have him wrapped up in a bird-shaped spoon. A burst of nerves flutter through his body like a hoard of tiny electric butterflies before Harry realizes how they got here.

Last night. Liam. Lou.

Harry frowns thinking of it, or at least, what he can remember of it. He was so worried, so angry, and it was all so chaotic. Harry's memory today is just as dark and cloudy as the night was yesterday.

Of course, there are other things that are different about this morning besides snuggling birds and emotional hangovers. For starters, he is sleeping on land, which is certainly a first for Harry. Thankfully he had enough sense to keep the end of his tail draped over the edge and in the sea to keep him hydrated overnight, otherwise it would have been an uncomfortable morning. Also, Olivia isn't here to give him her classic scowl about sleeping in too late. But all those things are insignificant compared to waking up beside Louis.

Turning his head, Harry tries to get a peek at Louis, who is still out like a light. He can feel Louis' breath on his neck coming out in quick shallow bursts that match the rhythm of his beating heart. Harry tries to match his own breathing to Louis' but it is nearly impossible. Harry's is slow, deep, and calm while Louis' chest heaves rapidly like a hummingbird, even in repose. Harry wills himself to stay as still as possible so he won't disturb him.

Harry can't remember the last time he was not alone when he woke up, and he wants to savour the moment. Though, he wishes it was under different circumstances. His face crinkles with worry as he wonders what kind of state Louis will be in when he wakes up. Angry? Confused? Completely hysterical? Harry has no idea. But there is nothing he can do until he wakes up, so until then, Harry just nestles deeper under the cover of feathers and patiently waits for Louis to stir.

It turns out Harpies enjoy sleeping for a very long time, and soon Harry starts to get bored. He absently hums a tune to beat of the lapping water against the rock to pass the time, but it doesn't take long for the humming to turn into words and then a melody, until finally small raspy chirp sounds beside him.

"Yer not singing again, are ya Haz?"

Harry turns his head around to see one of Lou's pale blue eyes squinting at him from beneath a phenomenal display of bedhead. Despite the look of sheer exhaustion on his face, he doesn't look half bad for someone who nearly drowned a few hours ago.

"Mornin' Lou!" Harry yells happily, flipping his body around to face him. Harry wants to wrap his arms around him in a bear hug, but holds himself back. He's already cuddled up next to the bird, there is probably no need to further invade his personal space. Instead, Harry settles for a beaming smile.

"Please don't do that." says Louis, making a pained face.

"Do what? Smile?"

"No," Louis rubs his eyes and groans at the bright light around him.

"Sing!?" Harry asks louder making Louis wince at the volume of his voice.

" _Stop. I mean the yelling._ It's too early for yelling." Louis is apparently not a morning bird by any stretch. He sits up quickly, removing his wing from around Harry and sitting a few feet away, bringing his knees up to rest his arms.

"Sorry," Harry blushes as Louis moves away from him.

Harry suddenly feels very self conscious lying across the rock. He's not sure what he was expecting exactly once Louis woke up, but there's a palpable awkwardness that Harry can't quite pinpoint. Perhaps it has something to do with the spooning. Or that he's been somewhat responsible for Lou's second near death experience in two days. Or maybe it's really just that Louis is a cranky bird in the mornings and none of this has anything to do with him, but he doesn't know him well enough to make that assumption. Harry has definitely thrown himself right into the center of Lou's life, so it wouldn't seem too far off if the Harpy just wanted some space for once. But, because Harry is a hopeful merman, he sort of hopes it's because Louis is experiencing the same kind of stomach flips that he is. Maybe he's asking himself the same questions about Harry. Harry would feel better if he know Louis felt _something_ at least. He wouldn't want his own butterflies to be just an illusion created by his own cruel brain.

Harry watches Louis get up and start pacing back and forth along the rock. Louis doesn't make eye contact with Harry at all, choosing instead to survey the sea around them, which allows Harry the chance to shamelessly watch him without judgement. Louis preens and ruffles his plumage, shaking out the last remnants of sleep with a stretch. It's quite the adorable beauty routine, Harry thinks to himself, and for once in his life he's at a loss for what to do next. There are questions running through his head, but he can't seem to make them reach his tongue. Does he bring up last night's attack? Does he try and explain Liam?

Harry never thought he'd be in a position of having to stop an old friend from strangling a new friend. The whole scenario probably did nothing for either relationship. Liam is undoubtedly fuming back in his cave, positively livid at him, and Louis... well, Harry isn't sure where he stands. Looking at him now he seems quite alright, despite the collection of colourful bruises that have bloomed all over his body overnight. Maybe Louis is the type of creature who doesn't like to talk about things. Maybe he likes to keep his feelings inside. Harry still has so much to learn about him, but he really wants to. He wants to learn everything about this stranger that makes him swim across oceans and fight his own best friends.

"M'hungry! Louis squawks suddenly, "how bout you?" He scratches at his bare stomach in a long stretch, drawing Harry's attention to his narrow waistline.

"Sure, Lou." Harry says, finally snapping out of his own head and managing to form words. He goes to shimmy into the water, but Louis stops him.

"No, no, let me. It's the least I can do after...you know," He shrugs, "...saving m'life and all."

"Alright then," Harry smiles shyly, though he's not sure how Louis is going to manage to get them anything, unless Harpies also happen to be conjurers of magic.

Louis starts pacing around the small island, eyes scanning the waters around him while Harry watches him carefully. After last night, he doesn't see Louis getting back into the water anytime soon, but maybe Harpies are more resilient than he's made them out to be.

"You know," Louis says, bending close to the shoreline and peering below the surface, "you were singin' in the air too."

"When?" Harry asks.

"Yesterday, when we were flying." Louis huffs out a breath of air and whistles, "was that really just yesterday?"

Harry nods feeling himself blush. If the conversation keep moving in this direction, eventually they'll get to why Louis wanted him to stay last night. And why Harry did. He looks up at Louis, who to Harry's surprise, is smiling.

"Well, your little siren song is the reason we're here and I got me a busted wing." Louis laughs.

"Makes sense. Mermaids are known to sink ships," Harry shrugs.. He's not really sure where this conversation is going.

"Hmm, so crashing unsuspecting Harpies is just child's play to you?" Louis chuckles to himself as he dips his arm into the water feeling around below the surface. From the way he's speaking it sounds like Louis is taking everything very lightly. He doesn't seem bothered in the slightest about the repercussions of anything that's happened so far.

"Here I am thinking I've got myself a grand fish in my talons," Louis continues, casually, "and then it starts to sing! Imagine my surprise."

Harry frowns at this, but Louis is too preoccupied to notice. He shakes his arm dry and keeps searching the water with concentration. Behind him, Harry's face falls with understanding.

"You thought I was a fish?" He asks him quietly.

"I wasn't really lookin' at ya, was I?" Louis responds, "Scared me right out of the sky though, when I heard it."

The butterflies in Harry's stomach are dropping off one by one. The more Louis talks the more it seems like Harry has no reason for them.

"Oii, oiii! I got something now!" Louis interjects, doing a half jump to the edge of the rock. He swipes his foot through the water with expert precision and Harry's face turns from solemn to horrified when a beautiful sunfish is kicked out of the water and into Louis' outstretched hand. Louis shouts with glee at his catch, too occupied to notice Harry backing up slowly away from him. Louis grabs the wriggling fish by the tail and let's it struggle for a few seconds in his grip.

"Oh, you're a pretty one," he says before slamming its body onto the rock with a loud whack. Harry covers his face with his hands, not wanting to look up.

_Lou thought he was a fish..._

_WHACK._

The loud crack of the fish's wet bones colliding with the rock reverberates inside Harry's skull, making him close his eyes tightly to try and drown out the sound. It's a familiar sound that reminds him of things he really doesn't want to remember. Things that happened a long time ago.

_WHACK._

The fish's body splits in half through the middle revealing it's gleaming innards and Harry has to choke back a gasp. He's not uneducated when it comes to the food chain. He's knows that some things get eaten so that other things can eat. He knows that Louis is a predator, and mermaids, in general are carnivores even if Harry isn't. That's not what is making him clench his fists until his knuckles turn white. It's not what's making him feel like it's his own body that's being flung against the ground. It's the sudden reminder that the fate of the sunfish could just as easily have been his own. And that, despite everything, a Harpy like Louis probably wouldn't have blinked if it has been him smashed against the stone.  Harry's life will always in the hands of others, even when he thinks it's the other way around.


	9. "You will find me."

It's no surprise to Harry when he finds himself staring awkwardly at an unfamiliar beach somewhere down the coastline. Looking around him, Harry can't recognize anything. There is a wall of rocks that have seemingly appeared out of nowhere, opening up into a narrow channel where the sea spills into a hidden blue cove he's never seen before. He is completely lost.

Harry wades through the channel cautiously and, at first glance, it looks almost too secluded, too cut off from the world to be real, but the quiet calm draws him in anyways. Maybe this is just what he needs right now. A secret pool all to himself.

Harry seems to find himself in unfamiliar places a lot, both physically and mentally. Though lately, it feels like much more of the latter. That's not to say he left Lou by accident. No, Harry fully intended to get as far away from him as swimmingly possible. At first all the uncertainty about Lou was exciting to him, like the enchantment of a morning fog spreading over his entire body, keeping him guessing about what's ahead. But now he's not sure. They are two very different creatures after all. Harry had hoped a good swim would clear out his mind, but he's just as confused as when he left. And very lost. And very, very tired.

Perhaps Harry should have said something to Lou before taking off like that. Even still, the polite thing for _Lou_ to have done would be to _ask_ first before smashing that defenceless, living thing in half from dorsal to caudal fin.

Harry doesn't touch living things anymore. He can't do it because it reminds him too much of his own eminent end. He doubts he'll ever get the privilege of living to a hundred years old and peacefully decomposing in a seabed. In all likelihood he'll end up on someone's plate, or stuffed and mounted on a wall, or shredded up in pieces by some violent hunter.

Harry winces at the thought. He doesn't want to think about that. Not now or ever.

By this time in the afternoon, the sun is hidden behind the rock cliff, casting a cool azure shadow on the little cove. Moving up towards the beach in the centre the waves drop off slowly until it's just a circle of white sand covering the bottom like a warm downy blanket. Harry can already feel himself relaxing as he crawls up onto the warm, wet beach.

The cushion of rock cliffs that surround the cove have cut it off from any wind, and drooping willow trees guard the shoreline around him like a row of broad-shouldered soldiers. The slender branches of the trees hang low over the edge of the land, letting their delicate tips graze the surface like fallen strands of hair.

As Harry makes himself comfortable on the sandy floor, cicadas trill loudly in the trees around him, and Harry catches himself humming along with their vibrating ensemble. But, he stops short of the crescendo when it suddenly reminds him what Lou said about his singing this morning. Apparently singing just gets him into trouble.

Despite the anxious feeling in his gut, he still wants nothing more than to turn around and go back to the rock, to Lou. He doesn't know why. He shouldn't. And what would he say when he got there?

Harry wouldn't call himself a prude or squeamish in the slightest. He doesn't get sick from sea swells or balk at the sight of blood. For all he knows, he's got an iron stomach, stronger than even a bluefish tuna. Unfortunately however, his soul is about as wispy and delicate as sea foam. Sometimes Harry thinks he was born with his heart outside his body, left to trail behind him by one long invisible artery only to get battered by one too many bumps in the road. He really shouldn't be this bothered by things. He doesn't enjoy being this sensitive, but there are some things a merman can't shake. Fighting with Liam for the first time in ages didn't help. He's pretty sure he punched him right in the nose. And waking up warm and snuggled under Lou was certainly cause for some conflicting emotions. Can anyone really blame him for needing a little breather?

Harry rests his head on the sand, letting the tiny waves roll up to lick his ears. He closes his eyes and tries to drown out all the noises coming from inside his head. The silence around him is already helping. Here, he can actually think. He can meditate and start wearing down the rough edges of his conscience back to something smooth and manageable.

He can also work out something to say to Liam. Then, he'll go back and check on Lou.

*****

"Are all mermaids supposed to look this distressed?"

A soft voice echoes out from behind Harry, startling him upright. He whips his head around to find the source, but doesn't see anything.

"I always thought a life of floating around all day would be a easy..." the voice comes out again in a near mumble, making the words string together into one long drawling sound.

"Not...particularly," Harry answers slowly. He scans the trees with his eyes for some sort of clue but can't make anything out behind the wall of green. "Have you not met one of us before?" he calls out, baiting the invisible stranger.

"I 'ave" The voice responds, "You used t'be around here a lot, did you not?"

Harry spins his head around so fast it makes him dizzy. Normally Harry would love a mystery like this, and if he was feeling like his usual self he would have suggested they start a fun guessing game, but today his heart just isn't in it.

"Do you mind coming out so I know you're not just in m'head?" Harry asks the voice defeatedly, "I don't mean to be difficult," he adds quickly not wanting to be rude to the stranger.

Harry waits for an answer from the voice but nothing happens, and for a brief moment he fears the worst. Either he's finally losing his mind or he's scared it away completely.

But a rustling finally comes from behind the trees followed by a slow, deliberate shuffling of hooves. Then, to Harry's delight, the body of a tall, lean Centaur comes through the willows, parting the branches like a theatre curtain, and Harry practically squeaks with surprise.

His equine-half is long and sleek with a short black coat of fur while the bare flesh of his upper body is adorned with intricate drawings that run down the length of both arms and decorate the top of his chest. The Centaur's dark face is made up of sharp edges so precise, it immediately reminds Harry of a precious stone. Stopping at the edge of the cove, the Centaur somehow manages to look both shy and wildly intimidating all at once.

"You're a pony!" Harry exclaims when he comes into view, then regrets his reaction immediately.

"Only by half," the beast chuckles softly, doing a little spin around, "or have you never met a Centaur before?" He asks mimicking Harry's own question. Harry's face turns scarlet.

"No I...I knew that," Harry responds with an embarrassed smile, "I was just being friendly."

"I knew that." The Centaur smiles back warmly, and Harry decides that he likes him already. In fact, he can't bring himself to stop _staring_. The Centaur looks like he just walked straight out of a painting, or like every natural agent - the wind and water and earth all together - had spent a million years working together so that every edge and curve of this creature was perfectly formed.

"You're the first one I've seen in a while, though," The Centaur continues and Harry finally snaps himself out from his incessant gawking.

"Makes sense," Harry shrugs, "I'm not sure if there are any others left."

"Oh, no..I meant you're the first of anything I've seen _here_ in a while," The Centaur "I didn't know anybody else knew about this spot."

"It was an accident," Harry says quietly, letting his arms fall to his sides with a weak splash, " I think I'm lost."

"So you _are_ a mermaid in distress."

"I suppose." Harry muses, looking around.

"By the way you dragged yourself up the shore, I actually thought you might be injured."

"Well, I appreciate the concern."

Harry doesn't mean to sound dismissive, but it must have come off that way as he notices the Centaur frown slightly. Though, he keeps looking at Harry with these kind, inquisitive eyes that somehow just make Harry feel sadder and more hopeless than ever. He's just comfortable here. Why can't things be comfortable like this everywhere, like with Lou?

"You look like you need an ear," the Centaur says finally.

"My ears are fine," Harry responds, lost in thought, "Though, I suppose I could use someone to talk to."

The Centaur chuckles and Harry realizes, bashfully, that that is exactly what he meant. Harry looks over at him standing patiently on the beach, waiting for the merman to begin. Harry exhales slowly, though he isn't sure where to begin. He feels stupid talking to a stranger about his problems, but if he doesn't start working them out in some way he is going to make himself sick. Harry rolls over onto his back in exasperation. "I just...don't know where I am," he states simply.

The Centaur smiles and takes a few steps into the water. He crouches down beside Harry.

"Well, if this helps in any way," the Centaurs says sweeping his hand through the air in front of him, "you're currently wading in Modest Cove. You're miles away from everything, right smack in the middle of nowhere to be precise."

Harry looks around at the rocks circling him and the green branches that sway lazily about. He watches the water go from crystal clear to a pastel green to a deep beautiful blue. And somewhere out there is Lou who may or may not be wondering where he is.

"It sure feels like nowhere." Harry sighs deeply, "A lot of nowhere. Even though it seems like it took _forever_ to even get to this place! You'd think that after...well, after _everything_ , we'd be somewhere by now."

"Isn't that the...wait, who is we?" the Centaur asks, cocking his head to the side with confusion.

"I'm not making any sense am I?" Harry says rolling his eyes at himself.

"I don't mind," The Centaur shrugs, "Keeps you interesting."

"I suppose that's good. Though mermaids are supposed to be dazzling, not confusing. We're supposed to be fun. Bubbly." The Centaur laughs at Harry's accidental joke, but he barely notices. He looks around and gazes towards the sea."I don't feel like much of anything right now, except confused."

"So my geographical explanation didn't help at all?"

"A little," Harry tries to smile, "What if I wanted to get back?"

"Back to... somewhere?" the Centaur asks.

"Yes please! Somewhere that isn't all guessing and waiting around and getting fed up! Somewhere other than nowhere, please! Please and thank you!"

The Centaur stares at him some more, making Harry blush with embarrassment. but his voice is slow and soft, and so encouraging that Harry can't help but confide in him.

"I get the feeling this isn't at all about directions."

"I'm sorry," Harry says, rubbing his eyes with frustration, "I'm just rambling and I'm lost and I'm _distressed_ , of course! I'm distressed!" Harry flicks his tail up and down in the shallow wave. He could not be more obvious if he screamed everything out loud, and Harry can tell the Centaur is catching onto his rant because he's looking at him like he's a ticking bomb ready to explode.

"I think you need to be direct...about your ' _not directions_ ,'" he says slowly, emphasizing the last two words. Harry looks up at him with wide, hopeless eyes and whines.

"How?"

"If you want to get...somewhere, you just have to say where you want to go. And if you get lost just ask for directions. Directly."

"Now you're not making any sense." Harry laughs for the first time since arriving.

"Well, where do you want to go?"

"Do you know the Shallow Reef? I can find my way to him from there." Harry watches the Centaur raise his eyebrows in a questions so he corrects himself quickly, "I mean, I can find my way _back_ from there."

"Seven miles East. That way." He points to the left, then turns to Harry with a kind grin, "Are you sure all mermen aren't supposed to be this confusing?"

"Maybe we are. I can't say I have much experience with other mermen. But we're not nearly as bad as Harpies." Harry says quickly with a huff, "so you should thank your lucky stars you didn't ran into me instead of one of them."

"Harpies?" Harry sees the Centaur's eyes flicker with curiosity, "All this is about a Harpy?"

"No, it's about a fish!" Harry growls with chuckle. " _And_ a Harpy, and an Octo _pain-in-my arse!"_ It's all sounding so ridiculous even to him, Harry can't stop himself from giggling now. He can only imagine what this poor creature thinks of his incessant whining. He probably wishes he had never stepped foot on this beach today. Harry throws his arms above his head in exasperation to show the Centaur he's not completely insane, "It doesn't matter. I feel better already. See my rosy cheeks? You've made it all better for me."

"I don't think I did anything," the Centaur states.

"You did. You have good advice. And listening is something. It's a very valuable something as a matter of fact. Not everyone is good at listening,"  Harry scrunches his nose thinking about Lou, " _or_ signals, _or_ asking permission before slaughtering small animals in front of their friends!"

The Centaur keeps staring at Harry like he had three heads.

"You're back to being confusing."

"Apparently we can try be the most obvious creatures in the world and still nobody would understand us."

"Like Harpies?" The Centaur guesses with a wink and Harry snorts.

"Exactly."

"Interesting," he says, stomping around Harry, "I didn't know you two would...swim in the same circles?"

"Ah, jokes. That's good. You're good at this."

"All Centaurs are like this." He smiles beautifully, letting his white teeth gleam, "I'm glad to have helped, merfriend."

"Oh. Harry! I'm Harry."

"Pleasure to meet you, Harry. I'm Zayn." The Centaur grins, making his way back up to the trees, "I trust you'll be okay now?"

"We'll see." Harry responds, shimmying his way down into the deeper water. When he gets up to his shoulders he turns back to the shore and shouts, "hey! Will I see you again, Zayn?"

"Only if you can manage to find your way back!" Zayn calls out over his shoulder before disappearing completely behind the wall of willows.  
  
  



	10. "You got stars, they're in your eyes"

The stench coming off the rotting sunfish in front of Louis is so unbearable, he can practically see cartoon lines of stink rising from it's swollen gills. Since the morning, it has shrunk to nearly half it's original size and turned from a pretty iridescent red to a rusty brown. It literally looks like a pile of shit, but Louis can't bring himself to kick it into the water just yet because Louis is punishing himself and has convinced himself that he deserves every bit of this olfactory torture.

Louis  _feels_ like shit, and it's not just the constant throbbing in his wing or the hungry rumbling in his gut that will not stop vibrating through his body like a vicious earthquake. It's the understanding that his bird brain is so completely _obtuse_ it failed to register that maybe murdering a fish might upset a creature who happens to share the same lower half with the victim. 

_Shit-for-brains._

Louis might as well tell Harry to go rip apart a wild partridge in front of him and see how that feels. But since Harry isn't around, Louis has decided to deny himself breakfast, lunch, and dinner and go on a seafood strike until Harry gets back to show him that he's not completely horrible.

Louis is hoping that if Harry sees the sunfish completely untouched on the rock he might forgive him for being an idiot. When Harry comes back, he can explain that waking up with him was surprisingly lovely, and that Harry saving his life was quite lovely too. He can actually say _'thank you, Harry'_ for the heroic display he is constantly performing and emphasize that, truly, he isn't always this clueless.

 _If_ Harry comes back.

Louis has been practicing this same speech for hours, reciting the words over and over in his head until they felt right. But despite his preparation, there hasn't been so much as a ripple in the water since Harry disappeared. On top of that, the entire island stinks like old fish and Louis' already limited patience is wearing very thin. He starts pacing around the rock, huffing air out his nostrils loudly and circling the perimeter like a caged tiger.

 _Must be nice,_ Louis thinks bitterly, _to have the freedom to just swim away just like that. Get some space._ Louis would love some space right about now. But he has space. So much of it, in fact, that he can't see where all this damn space ends. He really is caged, by nothing and everything at the same time.

For a brief moment, Louis considers throwing himself off the rock to see if Harry will come to his rescue again. He appeared out of nowhere the last time so maybe he'll do it again? But that idea is short lived. Louis can't remember the last time he did anything for attention. Probably never. It's too desperate for a bird like him. Instead he keeps stomping around the rock in a near-tantrum, feathers ruffled up and electric with static and frustration. 

Harpies are solitary creatures and they like it that way. They are alone right from the crack of their egg shells. They're born stubborn and territorial and hate just about everyone, except for dumb Fauns with lutes and, apparently, pretty dimpled mermen.

So he likes Harry now? Is that it? In _what way_ exactly? Louis groans and kneads his forehead with his fingers. That's just something new he has to deal with on top of _everything_ else. Or maybe he's just going insane with isolation. That's probably it. This rock is just giving him a weird case of Stockholm syndrome. He doesn't really _like_ Harry. That would be ridiculous. He just likes having him around to save his life is all. And smile at him a bunch. Or something along those lines.

Louis stops abruptly in front of his rotted fish and looks down at it with a sneer. He wants to kick it with all his strength. He wants to grab it and skip it like a stone across the water as far away from him as possible. It's sitting there like a big slimy reminder that Louis doesn't play well with others.

Shaking his head, he decides against getting rid of it just yet and side-steps the fish. He did not put up with this fetid smell all day only to give up at the last minute. It would be silly to throw away the only redeeming evidence he has of his moral compass right before Harry's return.

Because he has to return. Right?

Louis rubs his eyes and lets out a shaky breath and let's his thoughts run wild in his head:

_It's not like they're supposed to be real friends or anything. The merman isn't obligated to return to him. They're circumstantial friends at best. Accidental pals. Friendly by convenience. Thrown together by a string of misunderstandings that all happened to take place in the last day and a half: him, Harry, the rock, the fish, his insides getting a thorough salt brining from choking down so much sea water. All accidents. All perfectly forgivable._

Louis touches his throat and swallows dryly. 

_But killing that fish was an accident too! How was he supposed to know that it was an indignant move? Now he's wasted a perfectly good meal for a merbaby's feelings. A merbaby who may or may not leave him here on this rock in the middle of the sea to whither away and die like his spoiled breakfast._

Scratching his plumy legs with tense irritation, Louis accidentally rips out a chunk of feathers and winces. He is so stressed out that he's _molting_. This is starting to feel like the longest day of his life. It may very well be the last day of his life.

Louis lets out a few throaty caws into the sky and starts to study the bruises on his body. He counts seventeen welts in a mishmash of sizes, and those are just the ones he can see. He snorts dismissively at the thought of the attack. Of _Liam._ Let him come again tonight, Louis thinks with forced bravery, He'll be ready. Harry probably went to find him to say something like: _Hey bud, changed my mind. Turns out the Harpy is kind of an ass. Go have yourself some poultry. Here's my blessing!_

Louis snorts bitterly again imagining the dialogue between Harry and Liam in his own head. He's not the ass, they're the asses. He never needed anyone a few days ago and he certainly doesn't need anybody now. Especially a merman and his slippery thug. He stares into the deep water and cringes. Harpies _are_ supposed to be able to swim, if they must. Maybe not when they're being strangled by a self-righteous, homocidal octopi, but normally, yes. They can stand to get a little wet. He could try swimming to shore. He'd probably be fine. He's just being a sucky little hatchling, but it's hard not to when he's injured like this. 

Louis has never been good with vulnerability. When he's sick he makes Niall come up to his nest and stay with him, even though it's about a hundred feet above the ground in a tree hole and Niall gets anxious in small spaces.

Louis slumps down onto the rock to sit. His shoulders hunch forward and he lets his shaggy fringe fall into his eyes. He misses Niall. And his nest and the warm, comfortable feeling of earth under his feet. This island is so hard and barren, it's no wonder nothing grows here.

And he misses Harry. Stupid Harry who made him almost die twice only to bring him back to life with those horrible kelpy-green eyes. Louis smiles briefly before quickly frowning at the thought of Harry's eyes and how they must look right now. If he was willing to swallow a bowl full of kelp for those eyes, what else is he willing to do? Starve himself? Throw himself off a rock? Go against every natural inclination he's ever had? Certainly he's up for giving up seafood, waiting around aimlessly, and pine away like a pathetic sapling on a barren rock in the middle of the sea.

His stomach groans so loudly it sounds like a monster trying to wring out his intestines. Nausea climbs up his body, making him dizzy, so he lies down on his back to breathe.

"You don't make friends with mermen!" he shouts hoarsely to the sky but he's so far out the words don't even cause an echo.

*******

By late afternoon there's still no Harry, but a cloud of water bugs have begun to dance across the glassy water around him. They makes tiny looping trails with their bodies, spelling their secrets in quickly disappearing curlicues across the water. Louis rolls over on his stomach and watches them, resting his head on his crossed arms. The sea is so utterly quiet. There is nothing but Louis and a million thoughts and a million little bugs, who, let's face it, are probably just trying to get laid.

A pair of them land directly in front of Louis' face on the rock. Sure enough, one begins to mount the other gingerly, their spindly limbs moving with slow deliberate steps. Louis drowsily look over at them, then raises his eyebrows in surprise when he realizes what they're doing.

"Oh, that is disgusting! The both of you." Louis sneers, scrunching up his nose in a mock-grimace, "Right in public too, you naughty gnats!" Louis giggles softly. It's the first interaction he's had with another living thing since this morning, so he'll take it, even though they just look like a pair of humping twigs.

"How about I call you Lady, and you can be...the gentlebug. Since you're both fancy." Louis muses at the insects. They don't move or acknowledge him in any way, but he keeps talking.

"Move a little closer now, gentlebug. Make your move," Louis whispers softly at the larger one, egging him on. They are so thin and delicate if his voice gets any louder, his breath would blow them right back into the water.

"And you," he turns to Lady who is crouched on the bottom of the duo, "at least he brought you to dinner first before you let him get all up in your thorax," Louis motions to the fish carcass, "that's very important, you know."

Louis prods her small body and then sighs, "but don't think it means anything at all, really. Sometimes people will bring you dinner only to abandon you anyways and leave you to the mercy of the wild elements! You should be taking notes, little Lady. I know a thing or two about..." Louis frowns suddenly with realization, "or maybe I don't know anything at all!" he shouts turning over covering his face with his hands

"Do you want him to go? Do you want him to _stay_? Are you mad at him? Should he be mad at you? Or maybe both?!"

Dutifully, the two bugs start to crawl towards the rotting sunfish, ignoring Louis' frantic self-interrogation beside them. They go about their business, walking in tandem as they slowly climbing onto the fish while Louis growls in frustration and watches them solemnly.

"You two don't know anything do you?" he asks, "well, would _you_ say you're in love, then?" he whispers with a sigh, "I mean, would this gentlebug save you from a little bitch octopus if he had to?"

Louis turns to look at the gentlebug and prods him with his finger nearly knocking them both over, "would you, lad?" Both ignore him completely, which makes Louis furrow his eyebrows into the centre of his face. He may not like to be around other creatures, but he certainly does not like to be ignored. He can't let Harry leave him like this. Not without giving him give a proper explanation. Sore wing or no sore wing, Louis is getting off this rock and he's going to find Harry. He won't be left alone.

Louis stand up and rustles his wings in preparation but a particularly rumbly stomach growl makes him stop. He spins around quickly and slurps up both Lady and the gentlebug into his mouth.

"Sorry, but as he was probably just going to leave you anyway..." Louis reasons to the now-chewed insects. Smacking his lips, he kicks off the edge of the rock into the air. It's a rocky start as his wing is still bruised, but he eventually finds his balance even if it is a little wobbly. The wind on his face feels amazing already and he curls his talons with a sudden flush of excitement.

But Louis is barely ten minutes out from the rock when he catches sight of the unmistakable shape of merman Harry swimming in his direction. Harry is jumping in and out of the water at full speed, and the sight of his glittering tail fin makes Louis' breath catch in his chest and his palms get sweaty.

He's coming back. Harry wasn't going to leave him alone after all.

Maybe he is just coming back to give Louis a swift punch him in the face, but he doesn't care. He is coming back for him and it's making his heart hurt. If it were in any way possible, he'd probably start spouting stars from his eyes. For a second, Louis considers going back for the dead fish so he can show Harry, but then decides against it. He doesn't want to open with a smelly carcass.

"Here we go," Louis breathes out nervously as all of his preparedness falls away. He tilts his body forward and nosedives towards the merman as all the words he wanted to say and all the questions he had been mulling over evaporate from his brain entirely.


	11. "I want to build you a boat"

" _Harry_!"

Louis chirps excitedly from the air as he attempts to swoop down towards the merman below him. His wing is starting to ache already but he ignores it and focuses all of his energy on Harry's dark curls diving in and out of the water. He's not sure of it's the sight of him after nearly worrying himself sick all day, or the fact that he's finally free after being grounded for so long, but his entire body is buzzing with all the adrenaline coursing through him.

Louis is only ten feet from Harry before he realizes he is flying far too fast to make a graceful approach. Louis tries to slow himself down a bit by flapping his wings and leaning back, but instead his damaged wing cramps up and twists upwards from his armpit like an inside-out umbrella.

" _HAR-"_ Louis squawks desperately. He nearly tumbles sideways into the water before managing to get his balance back in the air. It's not exactly the smooth entrance he was hoping for, but at least he manages to swoop up and over Harry instead of crashing right into his shoulder blades.

As Louis swerves around, Harry instinctively snaps his head up from the water with alarm at the looming bird-shaped shadow overhead.

"Lou! Y'scared me half to death!" Harry shrieks, catching Louis's eye in relief. The surprise in his face melts away and a warm smile blooms in its place, nearly making Louis topple over once again. "What are you doing?" Harry asks, following Louis with his gaze as the Harpy glides unevenly around him in a circle. Louis takes this opportunity to give Harry a bold wink that is half for fun and half to distract him from noticing his crooked wing.

"What does it look like?" Louis chirps playfully. Ideally, he'd love to show off with a little spin or something now that's he's back in his element, but he can barely manage to keep his wings straight. The crooked one keeps making him lean slightly to the left and it's taking all his energy to keep it steady. Harry watches him teeter in the air and raises his eyebrows skeptically.

"It looks a little dangerous, Lou..." Harry turns onto his back for a better view of him in the air. "I take it you didn't like it Chez Hazza anymore?"

"No offence bub, but I've closed up that Guppy Manor for the season. The owner left town and so did the guest."

Harry frowns. "The owner was coming back, you know."

"Well, the guest didn't know that, did he now?" Louis responds quickly.

"I assume your headed for greener pastures then?" Harry asks. He can't help but frown at the idea that Louis wanted to get away from him.

"Can you blame me?" Louis looks down coyly at Harry, who's green eyes catch the light in such a way they are practically glowing. Harry's eyes widen with understanding as Louis gives him another quick wink.

"Oh. Well, I've always been partial to blue myself." Harry responds, a tiny smirk tugging at the sides of his mouth.

Louis knows he's laying it on thick with Harry, but it's helping to distract him from not crashing into the sea like the broken, pathetic mess that he is. He pushes forward instead making Harry speed up with his fin to catch up.

Still, Louis is enjoying being in the air again, even if it is precarious. He especially enjoys knowing Harry is there watching. He feels strong and regal in the air, despite the nasty ache in his wing. Louis closes his eyes and lets his head tilt back so the warm breeze blows the hair away from his face. Louis cracks one eye open to take a peek down at Harry, who's staring at him with his mouth open.

"You looking to catch some flies with that trap, Harry?" Louis calls to him, doing nothing to hide his smirk.

Harry shuts his mouth quickly with a laugh and opens his arms out wide instead. "I'm just waiting to catch you is all."

"I'm not going to fall," Louis says seriously.

"You might fall, Lou..."

"I won't." Louis snaps back stubbornly.

He doesn't want to seem weak anymore. He wants to look impressive. Majestic. Something he hasn't been in days. So he flaps his wings harder to fly faster and tries not to wince at the twinge in his muscle. Below him Harry rolls his eyes.

"This sounds a little familiar," he muses, " _I'm fine Harry, I can't care of myself Harry_..." he laughs and Louis shoots him a sharp glare.

"I _am_ fine!" Louis shouts more aggressively than he should.

"I know you are, Lou," Harry responds kindly and Louis's face relaxes a bit, "I'll just swim awkwardly under you anyways because, you know, I just _love_ the backstroke."

"Suit yourself," Louis shrugs.

The sunlight on his face starts to feel hot. He knows he's just one strong gust of wind away from plunging into the sea, but he doesn't want Harry to know that. He wants to show him that he's capable, and that he's not just a living, breathing disaster in need of saving every minute.

For a few moments they don't speak at all as Louis huffs his way towards land. Harry pushes himself along gracefully with his tail, making sure to stay dutifully underneath Louis. The silence is just fine with Louis, since he needs all his concentration for flying. His eyes are squinted in focus and his lips are pressed into a hard line across his face. He's is trying to seem normal, but it's taking everything in him not to start panting with exhaustion. This flying business was a bad idea, and seeing Harry looking so relaxed and calm below him is putting him on edge.

"You should just trust me, you know." Harry says finally.

"Why?" Louis responds in surprise.

"Because I'm your mate. Aren't I?"

Louis coughs. "My what?"

"Your mate." Harry clarifies, "your...friend?"

"Why?" Louis asks again, more slowly.

"Well, I think I've earned that much at least. Besides, you don't always need a reason to be someone's mate. You just are sometimes."

"We're not the same." Louis states plainly.

Harry nods in agreement. "No, we're not."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"Does it bother you?" Louis can already see that Harry isn't the least bit concerned by the way he floats along elegantly with his arms resting lazily behind his head.

Louis thinks for a moment. "I don't know."

"Okay, hows this? I'm your mate because I saved your life. Twice."

"So we're keeping count now?" Louis scoffs.

"You wanted a reason!" Harry starts counting on his fingers, " _And_ I made you a very nice salad. And I came back even _after_ you killed Ed. Oh, and did I mention I saved your life?"

Louis squeaks with surprise. "Wait. Ed? The fish had a name? You knew him?!"

Harry chuckles. "No. I thought it might have more weight if I did." Louis growls at him from the air, "But I could have!" Harry continues, "I do have friends you know. I have Olivia."

"Olivia?"

"She's a fish. I do happen to live in the sea. Chances are I may _know_ a fish or two. Don't tell me you don't have forest friends?"

"I don't. Not really."

"Not even the Faun?"

"Oh, Niall. Yes. I do have one. I have a Niall," Harry raises his eyebrows waiting for Lou to continue, "And _yes_ , I suppose we're not much the same either."

"Have you ever met a mermaid before, Lou?" Harry asks sincerely.

"Clearly not."

"Why do you think that is?" Louis shrugs. "It's because they're gone." Harry answers solemnly, "at least, all the ones I've ever known are gone."

"Gone where?"

"Just gone. In which case I probably shouldn't trust anybody either, but I do. I have to. If I didn't, I'd never leave the reef. I'd never dive into trenches like Liam's or explore tide pools like yours." Harry pauses, "I'd never know what it's like to fly."

Louis frowns. "You shouldn't trust me."

"Too late, Lou."

"Have you ever met a Harpy?" Louis asks.

"Why? Are the rest of you gone away too?"

"No. I think I have a few sisters out there somewhere. I just mean if you know one already you'd know that we can be real shits." Louis says sheepishly, "We're just not that keen on companions. I don't need to trust anybody because I'm always alone."

Harry frowns, but nods his head. "So am I. Doesn't mean I like it much."

"I thought I liked it," Louis says quietly, "until you left me alone. Then I didn't like it so much."

Louis can feel Harry's eyes on him, staring up at him fondly from the sea. Of course, it is at this exact moment that an updraft blows by, making him wobble to and fro like an old seesaw.

"How's your wing?" Harry asks with concern once Louis has straightened out.

Louis winces and even doesn't bother attempting to lie. "It really hurts."

"Then come sit."

Louis hovers briefly in the air and looks down at Harry who has stopped swimming.

"Where?" He asks slowly.

Harry's eyes sparkle as he stretches his body out flat across the water and pats his bare stomach with his hand.

"What? No. Absolutely not." Louis shakes his head fervently, which makes him lose his balance again before righting himself.

"Louis, be careful!" Harry shouts with a muffled giggle.

Louis purses his lips. "You want me to sit on you? Like you're a shiny piece of driftwood?"

"A merboat, actually. And don't worry. You'll fit."

"It's not about fitting, Haz." Louis pouts, crossing his arms.

"Well, we can't very well have a proper conversation with you blowing about like a salad in the wind." Harry states, arching his back slightly. "Come now, little bird."

"You and your damn salads." Louis shakes his head with a wary grin before a second updraft tries to spin him sideways.

"Lou! Really. Don't be such a..."

"Fine!" Louis squawks as he flutters down and lands in the middle of Harry's body. Louis groans with reluctance as he carefully positions one leg on each side of the merman, letting his talons dip into the water. Harry barely sinks an inch into the water with the added weight.

"I can't believe you're making me do this, Harry..." Louis is so unsure of what to do with his hands he just holds them up awkwardly in front of him like a kitten.

"I'm not making you do anything, Lou!" Harry laughs, "you've wanted this since ever since you first met me."

Louis freezes, swallowing dryly. "Wanted what?"

Harry puts his arms behind his head and bucks his hips so Louis's body bounces abruptly upwards and he has to grip onto Harry's waist to stabilize himself. His face turns a deep crimson.

"To get off the rock?" Harry says smugly.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah. I have, yes." Louis responds quickly, trying to hide his embarrassment. They both sit there for a moment, floating quietly in the middle of the sea. Louis wonders if there will ever be a time when being around Harry doesn't make him blush like a tomato.

"Get on with it then!" Louis snaps. So much for trying to be majestic.

Harry doesn't move right away. "I'm making you trust me first. Is it working?"

"No..." Louis says, letting a tiny smile give him away. His wings are already feeling better, and that alone has done wonders for his mood. He's never been one to hide his emotions. He feels a bit badly for being so indignant towards Harry, but he doesn't seem to bothered by it at all. He's seems to be in a fine mood too as he starts to propel them both forward with a swish of his fin.

"How's the water temperature?" Harry asks. Louis's talons trail in the water on either side of Harry creating a small wake behind them.

"Just fine, thanks."

"And the speed?"

"Could stand to go a little faster, Haz," Louis looks around them at the bare sea, "Can't say this situation is doing anything for my status as a deadly predatory. If anyone sees me like this it'll be bye-bye birdie to my star billing at the top of the food chain."

Harry laughs out loud. "Moving up to forty clicks then. Please keep your arms safely inside the merboat."

Louis giggles as Harry guides his hands to his chest so that he is leaning gently on Harry's ribs. "You'll have to be my eyes though, captain," Harry cooes, "so I don't crash my skull against a rock."

"And nasty octopus things." Louis says, curling his lip in a sneer.

"Liam isn't so bad, Lou."

"Me and my body of many colours will be the judge of that, thanks." Louis shimmies his shoulders to demonstrate the bruises on his chest. "I'd take care of you if something happened, though," he states, making Harry snort, "hey I would! I can nurture."

Harry tries to act serious, but barely manages. "Sure, Lou."

"We won't need it anyways. Ever heard of eagle eyes, Hazzafish?"

"You're not an eagle."

"Nope. I'm better than those dumb chicks. We Harpies have got the best sight around these parts. Remember that." He says, poking Harry in the forehead.

Harry chuckles as he moves his arms up and down on his sides to rev up the pace. He looks up at Louis who scans the sea around them, on alert for any obstacles and smiling enough that his eyes crinkle at the sides. On the rock, Louis was stressed or sad or quiet, but here his blue eyes sparkle serenely above Harry, mirroring the colour of the sky.

"How do you know all that? Human terms?" Louis asks him suddenly.

"I just...I used to spend time near the villages." Harry shrugs.

Lou scrunches his nose in a sour face. "Why would you do that?"

"I don't know. It was exciting for a time, I guess. I don't go there anymore."

Louis hums a response, then turns to look back at Harry. "Are you sure I'm not hurting you at all?"

Harry's face spreads open into a charming grin. "Louis, do you how small you are?"

"I am not _small_ , Harry. I am _avian_. My bones are fuckin' hollow!"

Harry pauses, slowing them down so that they are just floating with the waves. He reaches his hands over to touch Lou's legs. "You are the smallest." He says quietly.

"Can I tell you something?" Louis asks, matching Harry's quiet volume, "that fish. _Ed_. I didn't eat him. And I didn't mean to- I mean, I came to tell you- I'm sorry."

"I know." Harry says, taking a breath. "But I'm still a little mad at you."

"And you tell me this now when I'm wrapped around you like a prisoner! You devil." Lou tries to joke, but notices Harry's serious face and stops, "I know. But I'm glad you came back for me."

"Why?" Harry asks with a small smile.

Louis takes a moment to respond. "Because we're mates?"

"Mates." Harry nods in agreement.

With one last push of the waves, Harry's body glides up onto the tide pool with Louis in tow, the shallow sand stopping him from moving up the beach any further. Even though Louis can touch the ground now and could very well climb off onto the shore, he doesn't move. Instead they stay exactly still.

Harry breathes deeply, slightly out of breath from the swim. His chest heaves and Louis keeps his hands rested gently on it as it moves up and down, feeling the pattering heart under his skin. Louis can hear the insects buzzing in the trees around them and the waves lapping against the land only a few feet away, but he isn't ready to leave just yet. He feels Harry's hands find the tips of his wings that were made wet from the journey. Harry strokes them softly without taking his eyes off Lou.

"We're here," Louis murmurs, watching Harry's eyes flicker up and down from his eyes to his mouth and back again. Louis gulps. "Greener pastures."

And even though he's home again, back on the beach that he's always known on the edge of the forest he's never left, Louis has never felt more lost.


	12. "Please believe me, don't you see?'

**CONCERNING MERMAIDS  
** **Fabled Wildlife Manual, pg. 24-25**

_The study of mermaids has been an intriguing, and often baffling examination due to myriad of nuances that are unique to this hybrid. Although sublimely graceful and lithe in appearance, mermaids are impulsive and emotional creatures with strong social aptitude, thus their behaviour can be somewhat unpredictable._

_Depending on where they reside, mermaids have many different variations. Deep sea mermaids have white eyes and needle-sharp fangs akin to the anglefish and use an aquatic version of echolocation to hunt. Arctic mers tend to be on the thicker side, with blubbery grey skin that blends perfectly with the frozen sheets of ice above the surface.  
_

_Coastal mermaids, who reside in the warm shallow reefs of the tropics, are especially known for their_ _creativity and brimming confidence. They have no trouble interacting with other species no matter how unfamiliar a breed may be to them. These mermaids are the most playful, curious, and are kind to a fault, which can sometimes lead to trouble depending on who or what they decide to befriend. That is not to say, however, that they are fickle creatures by any stretch. They can be benevolent or beneficent, bestowing boons and developing fast infatuations. Mermaids often form strong bonds with others, whether kin or otherwise, and will fight fiercely to defend their allies._

 _Coastal mermaids are remarkable due to their bright colours and flowing hair and usually boast pale peridot eyes and bright emerald scales. Coastal mermaids don't migrate long distances to mate like the Atlantic mers, or travel to seasonal playgrounds for social gatherings like river maids. Instead Coastal mers are perfectly happy to stay put, traipsing along the sunny epiplagic zone so long as there is enough around to keep them occupied._ [For a detailed summary of all mermaid species, please see page 25]

_Regarded as the most beautiful of the mers, Coastal mermaids were highly sought after since they are believed to be linked to good luck. This belief comes from their affinity for danger and perilous circumstances, such as shipwrecks, floods, and storms. This popularity however resulted in aggressive poaching practices from rogue fisheries and traveling ships with most of the population having been killed off near the beginning of the century. For the few mermaids that may remain, their ability to stay hidden has become essential to their survival as a species._

 

 **[Chapter 12]** _"Please believe me, don't you see."_

 **One moment ago Harry was stuck looking up at Louis's face** contemplating the meaning of his entire life up to this point. In particular, he marvelled at how he ended up here, sitting on a warm beach, with a wild Harpy wrapped around him like a starfish on a sea tulip.

A moment ago Harry was holding onto the tips of Louis's wings and wondering what the Harpy would do if he gently pulled them down around them both like a blanket to shield them from the rest of the world. He wondered if Louis believed, as he did, that maybe if it was _only_ them, things might be a little easier. If the sea can meet the sky agreeably at the horizon, how much harder can it truly be for feathers and fins? Are waves not drawn naturally to the shore? Does the sun not bend to kiss the top of the waves at the end of the day?

Harry lets these thoughts run through his mind in silence while watching the sun glow warmly behind Louis's head like a yellow crown. But his moment of rumination is shattered when, in the blink of a bright blue eye, Louis is swiftly tackled off of him by a blathering blonde Faun.

"You fecking _arse_!" Niall yells as he rolls Louis up the beach in a grapple, "I thought y'were dead, you idiot!"

"Well, well, well!" Louis cackles as he's wrestled around the wet sand to Niall's shouting chorus of profanities.

"No! You don't get t'speak until I'm right done with yeah!" Niall bleats, pulling Louis's head into the crook of his arm. 

Harry, mildly shocked at the sudden interruption, rolls over onto his stomach to get a full view of the spectacle going on across the beach. The Faun chases the Harpy around the puddle of trickling waves with all the energy of a buzzing bee hive and Harry can't help but laugh at the gleeful squeaks coming from Louis as he tries to escape capture.

Harry surveys Niall up and down with curious interest. He's has never been this close to him before. He's only seen him from the water at a distance. Looking at him now, he can tell that Niall is very sturdy for a bipedal, unlike Louis who is more delicate, like a zestful nymph. Two pale horns peek out from under his a tower of blonde hair that seems to defy all gravity, and there's a grand smile across his cheeks that looks so natural on him Harry thinks it might very well be a permanent staple on his young face.

"I am _this close_ to impaling you with me horns for flying off and leaving me to wonder like that," Niall growls as he head butts Louis playfully. Louis grabs Niall's neck in a head lock in response and lifts himself off the ground with a flutter of wings, spinning Niall around with him.

"You know I'd peck you right raw before you had the chance, you overgrown goat."

Niall and Louis chatter among themselves contentedly, seemingly forgetting about Harry altogether. Harry figures they'll notice him eventually, but until then he's happy to observe this rare bromantic reunion in its natural habitat. 

From somewhere under the water, Harry feels a light tug on his tail fin. He looks behind him at the sea but sees nothing until there is another small tug and two brown eyes appear above the water a few feet away. He peers into the water and, sure enough, sees the unmistakable shape of a tentacle coiled around the end of his fin.

Harry goes to speak, but Liam puts his finger up to his mouth to quiet him, then motions for Harry to follow him underwater. Louis and Niall are too occupied to notice, so Harry slips under the water towards the cover of a nearby sea garden. 

"Li, what is going on? _Ohh..._ " Harry begins but stops abruptly and looks around them, distracted by the the rows of ocean florals and vines that reach up from the sea bed towards the light at the surface. "Don't you just want to wear all these colours around you all the time?" 

"Harry. Stop." Liam interrupts the merman's twirling and tries to untangle him from the draping blossoms he's already decorated himself with. "What is going on _with you_? I saw you carrying that predator around the water like he's your pet barnacle."

"Oh! A barnacle!" Harry cries, plucking one of the small crustaceans from the nearest rock and placing it on his finger like a ring.

"That's not a compliment, Harry," Liam scolds, flicking it away, "they're disgusting, just like birds."

Harry's face springs open into a sly smile. "Liam. Why did the barnacle cross the road?"

"I'm not answering that." Liam grumbles.

"To get to the other tide!" Harry swirls around Liam rapidly in celebration of his own pun, while Liam has all eight limbs moving after him to try and pin him into place.

"Well, clearly I'm in my right mind to be worried about you," Liam mumbles shaking his head, "You're not taking this seriously at all."

Harry rolls his eyes. "Can you please release your grip on me and get one of your own? He was hurt. I was bringing him home. That is all. Now call off your feelers!" he cries smacking a tentacle away from grabbing his wrist.

"Harry. _Really."_

"Maybe you should just apologize to him."

Liam scoffs. "Me? _Apologize_?"

"To Louis. Yes." Harry nods seriously.

" _Louis_! The barnacle has a name!" Liam flails his many limbs about with exasperation. "No Harry. I am absolutely not apologizing. Not a chance."

"It doesn't cost anything to be nice, Li." Harry tuts while he picks out a sea flower and tucks it behind his ear, "Just be nice and see where that gets you."

"Oh yeah? Where did that get you?" Liam pokes at Harry's waist where dark scars are still visible from Louis's sharp talons.

Harry pulls away quickly as he ties a leafy vine around his neck in a bow. "I'm dealing with it. Fish are friends, not food."

"Does _Louis_ know that?"

"Yes." Harry responds curtly, bopping Liam on the nose with an orange blossom. "You just need to uncoil yourself and trust me."

Liam sulks back into the vines. It would be just like Harry to play off a couple of scratches when he's been blinded by all the stars in his eyes. He knows Harry's been lonely for a long time and that the sea probably looks like one big, empty space for him, but Liam can't help but wring his hands and limbs with worry anytime he swims off somewhere new. Sometimes wrangling Harry and his wiles feels to Liam like he's willingly taking a year or two off his own life. He should know better. Any other mermaid they've known has perished in tragedy, and he doesn't want the same thing to happen to Harry. In the sea, Harry is safe. He is protected. Anywhere else, Liam isn't sure.

"Please Lima Bean..." all of a sudden Harry has Liam in a giant hug, pressing his face against his cheek with aggressive force, "do it for me? Apologize for me. Apologize to my baby pet barnacle Louis!"

" _Harry_..."

"The Faun is up there too. You know, funny lad with the lute?" Harry remarks with a little side-smile, "do you wanna meet him?"

Liam sighs deeply in defeat. "Do you remember what happened the last time you asked me that question, Harry?"

"Yes." Harry responds with a beaming grin. "Magic."


	13. "The necessity of apology between you and me"

Niall and Louis sit on the shore staring out at the sea and wheezing from fatigue after calling match on their little scrapple. Harry had apparently disappeared somewhere in the midst of it, and Louis now surveys the sea on alert for his return. He knows he has some explaining to do with Niall, but isn't exactly sure how to start. How do you bring up four days of isolation with a merman, capped by an intimate cruise together across the sea? Louis can tell Niall missed him by the way he's kept himself right up beside him this whole time instead of giving him an inch of space. He's going to want answers. Unfortunately, Niall doesn't give him much time to prepare his story.

"Are yea gonna tell me about anything that happened while you were gone?" Niall asks him, leaning back onto his elbows on the sandy knoll.

"Oh yeah," Louis responds carefully, keeping his eyes glued to water for any signs of a merman in the waves, "...thrills, chills, danger, romance. The whole bit."

Louis can see Niall raise his eyebrows at him from the corner of his eye. He can feel Niall staring at him, which is making him nervous and suddenly self conscious. It's not everyday you bring a merman home to your best mate, especially one you were planning on noshing at one point. Maybe it would have been better to keep Harry a secret for a while longer. Keep land and sea separated, at least until he could figure out what the hell is going on.

Their little boat trip was something...new for Louis. He isn't sure if he's ever felt more simultaneously embarrassed and thrilled in his entire life. How is he supposed to explain all that to Niall, the Faun who thinks head-butting and wrestling across the beach is a sign of affection. When Harry comes back, hopefully they'll all just laugh it off together, make it seem like a funny misunderstanding. A great story: a harpy and a merman go off on an adventure, _ha ha hilarious_.

Finally, there's a splash ahead of them in the sea and Louis' chest starts to hammer when he sees Harry's unmistakably curly head appear out from a small wave. Niall turns his head to look in the direction of the sound and makes a small startled cry. Louis has to grab onto his shoulder to stop him from running away into the woods. 

"Relax, you twat. It's just Harry." Louis quips, not taking his eyes off the graceful merman as he rides up the beach and climbs onto a sandy ledge a few feet away. The little waves wash over him, splashing at his waist. Louis can see Niall's gaze fall down towards the large tail fin that trembles slightly in the water. Louis breathes out in relief knowing Harry might be feeling just as apprehensive about this as he is.

"Hallo," Harry says simply, smiling in a way that reaches all the way up to the edges of his eyes. "You must be Niall. Heard a lot about ya!" Harry tries to break the ice but Niall just stares at him with an open, gaping mouth.

"Louis..." Niall whispers after a loud gulp, "the fish man is talking to me. Why's the fish man talking to me?"

Louis smirks and whispers back at Niall. He tries to keep it casual. "Seems like he knows you, lad. Better say hi back before he tries to eat ya..."

Niall's eyes grow even wider as Harry gives him a weak little wave. His fin slaps the water gently and Niall finally catches the unmistakable golden hue at the tips.

"Oh. _Ohhh_! You're the...um, you're the -" Niall stammers looking from Harry to Louis. The confusion is ebbing away slowly, making room for the amused look that starts to play on his face.

"I'm a mermaid." Harry answers for him, giving another grand swish of his tail as proof. Louis meets Harry's eyes as Niall's head snaps back and forth between them, piecing things together. Then, like a switch Niall starts to laugh loudly letting his mouth hang open with hilarity. Louis breathes out a sigh of relief as Harry scrunches his face up agreeably.

"Also known as the SS Merboat. Captain Harry here drives a smooth ship, don't ya? Quite the comfortable ride, if I say so meself." Louis is talking faster than he means to but at least Niall is laughing and Harry is smiling at him and the sun is out. At least

"So I take it, ah, the ah, the ' _ting_ didn't happen then?" Niall asks Louis between more chuckles.

Louis shakes his head. "Change of plans."

Niall kicks off another round of giggles by looking at Harry in the water. Louis will let Niall make fun of him for today only, and then it's back to being the intimidating Harpy that he is.

"A mermaid...all this time," Niall muses, shaking his head, "well, you'll have t'forgive me for not comin' t'shake yer hand, Harry. I'm not that keen on the sea, you should know."

"Oh? Why's that?" Harry asks.

"I just like me feet firmly planted on the green earth is all. And it smells funny, no offence. And..."

"He's scared of sea monsters, Haz," Louis interjects with a chuckle. If Niall is gonna laugh at him, Louis doesn't mind tossing in a few jabs himself. He starts preening his wings to remove the wet bits of sand that have stuck from their earlier tussle.

"So what? He probably knows all about 'em, right Harry? I saw one while y'were gone too. Big purple nasty 'ting with arms." Niall says squirming a little with the memory. Harry goes to open his mouth, but Niall's gaze is moving past him as he catches sight of something crawling up the bank. Before Harry can turn around, Niall leaps up in fright and tries to frantically climb up Louis's back like a spider monkey to get himself out of the water.

"Niall, _ouch._ Watch m'wing!" Louis cries, punching his friend in the side a few times, but Niall just clings onto him for dear life while staring at the sea. "Git _off,_ man," Louis squawks before turning to see what Niall is looking at. Liam stands meekly behind Harry. He tries to hide himself behind him but his tentacles splay out around him giving him away.

"Not sure this is a good idea Harry..." Liam whispers.

"Just be nice," Harry assures him with a little pat on the shoulder.

"You!" Louis yells at him from between Niall's trembling arms that are desperately wrapped around his head.

"You know each other?!" Niall squeaks from atop Louis's shoulder. He's squeezing his head so hard it's making his skull throb. Louis shrugs Niall off him, letting him land with a hard thud on the beach, then marches forward into the water towards Liam.

"Yeah," Louis snarls to Niall, "he tried to kill me."

"You tried to kill Harry first!" Liam argues, poking his head out from behind Harry.

Louis scoffs. "If you had _some_ paid attention there, Slimy, you'd have known that that was an honest mistake."

"Maybe mine was a mistake too."

"Oh, you seemed to know exactly what you were doing from what I remember," Louis says narrowing his eyes.

"And he slimed up my lute!" Niall interjects, shouting nearly hysterically from the shore, "He..he touched it a bunch and now the frets sound funny!" The others turn to look at him weirdly. His face goes red. "Fine. Not _as_ important as the killing. Carry on with the discussion." Niall slinks back to the shore.

"So you're a _thief_ too, then?" Louis growls at Liam, ruffling his feathers to make himself seem more intimidating. He stand squarely in the middle of the beach, "Some nice friends you've got there, Haz."

"Yeah, he really knows how to pick 'em." Liam counters.

"Let the record show that I didn't try to kill _anyone_." Harry adds lifting his arms up in the air and trying to lift the mood.

"Then you can be the judge." Louis tells Harry, keeping his eyes set on Liam.

"Yes, let _my_ best mate be the judge." Louis laughs humourlessly at Liam as his blue eyes gleam sharply with animosity.

"Well," Harry starts calmly, "a pony told me the other day that it's best to be direct with others, so why don't we all just be direct right now and we'll feel better. I'll start: I'd like us all to be friends! Now you go."

"Pony!?" Both Liam and Louis both bark at Harry simultaneously.

"Where were you talking to a pony, Harry?" Liam asks accusingly.

"Is that where you went and left me?" Louis adds, trying to one-up Liam's worry.

"What d'ya think you're doing cavorting with ponies on land for!" Liam continues without letting Harry answer.

"Yeah," Louis echos. Liam glares at him.

"Stay out of this, mammal."

"Oh, go tie yourself in a knot!"

"He wasn't all pony. Only half." Harry shrugs, easing the tension on the beach.

"Wait, like a centaur?" Niall asks curiously from the shore, "We know one of them, don't we Lou?"

"A centaur?!" Both Liam and Louis shriek again in unison startling Niall and Harry into silence.

"What have I told you about frolicking around near the shore?" Liam scolds Harry.

"You should not be hanging around centaurs," Louis tries to scold him louder, "they are scum."

"I thought he was rather nice and-" Harry starts to reply before he's interrupted by unanimous groans from Liam and Louis.

"You think everyone is nice!" Liam rolls his eyes, "you thought this arse was _nice_ before he tried to tear your gills apart."

"Funny you should be talking about tearing someone apart, Octoboy." Louis snaps at Liam.

"Funny you should be talking at all!" Liam nearly shrieks.

Louis suddenly leaps forward in the air and kicks his talons through the water splashing Liam directly in the face with sea water. Liam stops, looking at Louis in surprise then retaliates with his own splash, soaking Louis entirely up to his shoulders. Louis gasps at the sudden wash of water over him. He narrows his eyes and starts walking towards Liam threateningly.

"You wouldn't dare splash me," he says gruffly, "you should know the consequences."

"Don't start with me, bird man," Liam prods him with his finger, "or I'll arm wrestle your face."

"I seem to remember you trying that on me before...I'm waiting!" Louis growls, stomping over towards Liam so that the are nearly forehead to forehead. They stand face to face for a minute while Harry and Niall exchange amused looks with one another, waiting intensely for one of them to do something. But instead of getting violent, the two of them just continue splashing each other in a fury, trying their best to soak the other one faster.  

Harry and Niall watch their friends act like fools with their mouths open in confused shock. Several times they makes eye contact and smirk at the ridiculous display going on in front of them. Then, after a few more minutes, it just starts to get tiresome. Harry leans on his arms while Niall takes a seat back on the knoll and yawns.

Liam is clearly winning, likely due to the many appendages at his disposal. Louis tries to use his wing a few times, but the feathers are too delicate to really make much of a difference, so he's left with only his hands. It isn't long until he's completely drenched and thoroughly pissed. Liam stands, mildly triumphant from the water watching Louis stomp around, wiping the drench from his face and hair.

"Well, now that that is over with..." Harry starts to say before he's cut of by a huffing Harpy.

"That doesn't mean anything!" Louis yells, "I call for a rematch. On land! You hear me?"

He splashes about in the water, taking several aggressive steps until he stops dead in place as the colour drains from his face. Louis lifts his foot up slowly to reveal a large sea urchin has lodged itself into the base of his talon and dangling from a few sharp quills buried deep in his flesh. He bites his lip, trying hard not to whimper from the sting and stands there, frozen, with his one leg in the air.

"Oh! Lou!" Harry dives towards Louis and tries to grab the urchin with his hands, but the spiny needles keep pricking his fingers, "Hold still!"

Louis hold only Harry's shoulder for balance as Harry keeps trying his hand at grabbing one of the needles with a firm grip.

"I told you it was dangerous in there!" Niall call out from the shore, unhelpfully.

"Liam, please. Do you think you can get it with one of your arms?" Harry asks. Liam stares at Harry blankly, then reluctantly scuttles over to Louis and inspects the damage.

"This means we're done, okay? We're square. No more proud peacock."

"Okay, _dad_ ," Louis responds brazenly with a roll of his eye. Liam gives him a harsh look. "Alright, alright. Yes, fine! Just get on with it." He seethes through his teeth. Liam gingerly grabs the urchin with his rubbery tentacle and yanks it from Louis' talon swiftly, making Louis screech sharply, before tossing it back into the water.

"It'll be swollen for a while," Liam tells Louis before wrapping his tentacles around the Harpy and standing him back up on both feet.  Louis looks at Liam. He can't very well say thank you, not when there's still salt water in his eyes and his ego is shot to hell, but he nods thankfully anyways making Liam's brown eyes soften slightly.

"There! See?" Harry says, putting his arm around both of them in a three way hug. "Don't we all just feel so much closer now?"

Niall then comes galloping towards them from the shore, making a wet ruckus in the waves.

"Not gonna lie," He he says when he reaches them and adds himself to the group hug, "I feel a little left out."

"Niall, this is Liam." Harry says with a smile.

"You seem like a good one to have around, Liam," Niall smiles back, shaking one of Liam's hands. "Good protection from sea monsters and, uh, stuff like that." 

Liam nods. "Well, I think that's about enough for one introduction. I'll leave you two to your alone time," he turns to Niall, "sorry about your lute. I'll ask next time."

"S'okay!" Niall says, giving Liam a wave before he disappears into the water.

"Wait," Niall turns to look at Harry and Louis, "why would you lads be needing 'alone time'?"

His eyes find them and Louis is already sitting cozily on Harry's lap as Harry's pets his injured talon gently with his hands. Niall's eyes pop open wide.

"Oh," he grins at them finally, " _Ohhhh_." 


	14. "Forget about time"

**CONCERNING FAUNS**   
**Fabled Wildlife Manual pg. 35**

_Full of continuous energy and an infectious, carefree attitude, Fauns serve as a natural bridge between the human and animal worlds. Since their initial introduction to humankind, Fauns have quickly developed a love for human culture, especially the food, drink, and frivolity that comes along with it. They have been known to disguise themselves as humans entirely without detection by covering their horns and bottom halves in clothing_.

 _Despite their trickery, Fauns and humans have historically had quite a respectful relationship. Their clever street smarts and human-like behaviours delight humans_ , _while Fauns are happy to offer aide and favours to lost travellers in exchange for food and other pleasantries._

 _Playful and mischievous, Fauns run on a constant search for entertainment. Their large appetites have them moving around a lot, as they spend most of their time foraging for food. They are also a musical animal and have adopted skills in_ _the lute or pan flute specifically._

_For all their happy-go-lucky innocence, Fauns are still quite grounded and logical. They are traditionally peaceful creatures who make decisions carefully, though will not shy away from defending their honour or the honour of their allies._

 

 **[Chapter 14]** _"Break these clocks, forget about time."_

 

"I think it is a perfectly normal thing, Niall."

It's barely the crack of dawn and Louis is standing over Niall's mossy bed in a blatant violation of his beauty sleep. His winged shadow looms over Niall as the seeping indigo light starts to illuminate the dense forest around them.

"It's not normal, Lou," Niall grumbles without opening his eyes. He tries to bury himself deeper into the moss to drown out Louis's persistent talking. Normally Louis would be sleeping soundly above him in the tree until high noon, but since he got back from his tropical island adventure, his energy level has detonated like a bomb.

"Harry has done a lot for me, Niall!" Louis says as he paces around Niall's curled body, "he saved my life, he taught me the value of not eating everything that moves, kept me company for _days_ when he could have just left me there to perish. I think I owe him something."

Niall rolls around and squints up at Louis with one eye. "So you want to go to the village?" he asks tepidly.

"Yes!"

"And get him a _present_?" Louis nods vigorously, "don't you know how ludicrous that sounds? You've never set foot in the village in your life. You've barely left _the beach_ in your life, Lou."

"That's why I need you! You know your way around. Come on, Niall!" Louis climbs up into him and starts jumping on his body to make him move, "It's barely dawn! Nobody will even be awake! Early bird get the worm, right?"

"Well, early Fauns give early birds a punch in the face if they don't stop bouncing on 'em." Niall growls. Louis leaps off of Niall and slumps onto the ground in a pout, "can't you just fly there and back in a quick minute?" 

"M'wing still hurts some. I'll need you to keep watch for me." Louis presses his mouth into a line across his face and stares at Niall pleadingly. "Please? I want to bring him something nice. Because he's so nice. And pretty." Louis says dreamily, tugging at Niall's horns, "Isn't he so nice and pretty, Niall?"

"It's too early for this kind of talk," Niall groans, pulling his ears down to cover them.

"We could steal a pie off windowsill..." Louis sing-songs at him, and Niall's ears perk up immediately, "I'm sure some little old woman put one up there last night and it's just sittin' there waitin' to be eaten by a jolly young Faun...a Faun who is so _very nice_ to his friends..." 

Niall groans and rolls up onto his feet, shoving Louis away from him onto the ground. Louis chirps and flutters his wings happily as Niall stretches lazily and brushes off the bits of moss that have stuck to his hair overnight.

Louis knows Niall is never one to object to food, especially the possibility of dessert. Plus, Niall actually enjoys village adventures. He likes passing off as human for a night and causing trouble. It's a little game he plays when he's feeling particularly restless. He's even stolen several items of clothing over the years and rotates them on his visits so he can blend right in with the villagers. Louis always gets his stories of debauchery the next day, though none of it ever sounds particularly appealing to him.

Louis watches Niall gleefully from the forest floor as he pulls on a pair of brown tweed trousers and a linen shirt from his burrow. He tucks the shirt in carefully, being especially conscious of his bushy tail. As a finishing touch he places a wool cap on his head to hide his horns, then spins around to show off his brand new look.

"Hi there. The name's Neil. Neil Haron," Niall performs his best human impression with an exaggerated wink, "say, can y'tell me where I might find the nearest pub 'round these parts?" 

"You look like a perfect arse," Louis giggles.

"Not as perfect as yours will look in these. Here." Niall tosses Louis an extra pair of black trousers. Louis holds them out in front of him and scowls. "Hey now," Niall insists, "we're doing this together so suit up, Loulou."

With a roll of his eyes Louis shimmies into the pants, slipping them up and over his feathered legs and doing the clasp. "Little snug, don't y'think?"

"Oh, they are more than a little snug." Niall laughs at him, "Never knew you had all that packed away under that plumage. It's impressive, really."

"Don't I get a hat too?"

Niall rummages in his burrow once more and picks out a slouchy wool one. "Good?"

"Alright," Louis nods pulling it over his ears. as Niall eyes him up and down, "shall we Neil?" 

Niall laughs loudly as they trot off into the woods towards the village path.

*

A small path following the shoreline takes Louis and Niall to the small village that's build into the side of a large cliff. Little cottages speckle the mountainside while cobble stone foot paths weave around them like little stone rivers. At the bottom of the cliff the shore opens up into a large basin where traveling ships come to do business trading in the harbour. The wind is sharp and unyielding up there at the edge of the island, while the waves crash violently against the rocks below them.

Louis isn't a fan of the village. It smells like a hundred sour breaths all rolled into one and is made up of so many sharp edges and hard surfaces it makes him uneasy. Everything about it seems harsh. There is nothing green or plush here. Nothing soft, nothing subtle. Trees need to beg the stones for space to lay their roots and when the rain falls, its given no purpose at all. With nothing to soak but the dirt, the water gets funnelled down into drains along with the filth. None of it makes sense to Louis who is used to the soft ebb and flow of the wild. Though, from what Niall tells him, the forest sounds like a far more civilized place than this, even though he supposes the humans like to think otherwise.

Because of this, Louis has had very limited interaction with humans and he would like to keep it that way. Though he can't deny the curiosity of their way of life. Their silly, selfish ideas may lead to some strange practices, but they also manage to create some beautiful things too. If everything is so brown and hard around them, it's no wonder they try to liven it up a bit. If he wants to impress Harry with something dazzling, something that will stand out, he is sure to find it here.

The two creatures round the corner, making their way up the road to the centre of town. The sun still hasn't crested over the hill, so the village is still blanketed with a dark cerulean sky that perfectly hides the two sneaking animals. Louis guesses they have about an hour before any villagers begin to wake up, which should be plenty of time to find a suitable gift. Louis hopes it doesn't take any longer than that. He may be wearing trousers, but his wings still hang visibly from his back, and he imagines the villagers might not react well to a wild, half naked Harpy from the forest is seen galavanting around the town square.

Niall, however, struts ahead of Louis in the middle of the road as comfortable as he's ever been. His hooves clack loudly against the cobble stones as he sashays his hips from side to side like a mannerly gentleman doing his most sophisticated walk.

Louis keeps to the shadows, tiptoeing warily behind the Faun and keeping close to the walls of the buildings, even somersaulting into hidden corners to stay out of sight. He's doing his best to stay stealthy, but Niall just puts his hands into the pockets of his trousers and start whistling without a care in the world.

"Are ya looking to wake everybody up?" Louis hisses at him. He's is starting to regret this entire idea. His bountiful energy from earlier has tempered into tingling pangs of anxiety making him wonder if Harry would be okay with a mere thank-you hug instead.

"Sorry. It's what I normally do! I'm just tryin' t'fit in." Niall replies breezily.

"There's nobody here! Just help me find something nice and let's get out of here."

Niall chuckles quietly, clearly singing a chorus of _I told you so_ in his head. Louis is definitely not cut out for village life, even when it is deadly quiet and empty.

Louis spins around to look around the empty streets around them. He gets an unnerving feeling that they're being watched, but can't make out any movement. It's likely his own paranoia playing with him so he makes himself picture Harry's face quickly to remind him why he wanted to do this.

Dimples. Hair like curly brown ribbons.The tingling subsides.

"Over here," Niall calls to him suddenly. He points to a little yard behind the closest cottage facing the cliff's edge. Louis scurries over making sure to check for any sound inside as he makes his way around the house. In the yard Louis sees a long clothes line has been stretched from one end of the house to the other.

"What are these? Shirts?" Louis asks Niall skeptically.

"Don't you think Harry would like one? Liam says he's always wrapping flowery shit around him. Apparently it's a mermaid thing, I dunno." Niall shrugs.

Louis sneers."Since when do you talk to _Liam_?"

"Since we all shared a best mates hug on the beach. You know that's a binding contract right?" Niall laughs.

Louis scrunches up his face in a grimace before walking over to the clothes line. He touches the delicate fabrics; florals and silks with lace trims. _Pretty_ , he thinks as he grazes his hands along the hems. He imagines Harry's face again, this time when he sees his fancy new blouse. Louis smiles at the thought of his eyes gleaming in awe. This was a good idea.

"Ohhh!" Niall abruptly murmurs from the cottage. He peers into the open window where, sure enough, a tray of freshly baked scones sits unguarded. He grabs one and takes no time to shove the whole thing in his mouth. "Oh my god, Louis, I think there's cheese in here," he smacks his lips. "there is! There's fecking cheese inside!"

Niall stuffs several more in his mouth at once and moans out loud, fluttering his eyes shut with sheer pleasure. He turns to the window again in search of more.

"Keep it down, you barbarian," Louis warns him with a quiet hiss.

Then, suddenly, they both jump as the sound of clopping hooves coming from the street a few feet away. The noise bounces off the stone walls in a reverberating echo that Louis is sure will reach some sleeping ears.

"Niall!" Louis screeches in a hushed voice.

"It's not me!" he responds with his buried head inside the window. His tweed-swaddled arse hangs out in the air as he reaches further into the cottage to grab anything edible at arms length.

Panic surges in Louis chest. He grabs the nearest garment, a white silk blouse, from the clothesline and stuffs it into a ball in his hand just as a figure slowly appears from around the side of the dark cottage.

"Was wondering who was scampering around here so early in the am," Zayn leans his body against the house. His dark coat shines slightly in the low light and he wears a clean, tailored waist coat to cover his body with a white cravat. From the waist up he looks entirely human, dressed appropriately for a wealthy villager with his hair slicked back. His long equine body only giving him away when he turns to the side.

Niall pulls himself out from the window bashfully and awkwardly swallows his last mouthful of scone. "Zayn. How're ya? Been keepin' well?"

"Can't complain. Life's good up on the hill. You two look quite darling," he smirks at them, "never thought I'd see the likes of you here."

A smiles plays on the Centaur's lips as he looks Louis up and down. Louis stares at Zayn without opening his mouth, but his eyes narrow into thin slits.

"Do they ask for rides on that saddle of yours or are you just for the petting zoo? I can't remember." Louis quips. He can't bring himself to move so just he works on breathing in and out.

"Funny," Zayn says without smiling at all.

"I mean, you do know you're still an animal right? Even though you decided the forest wasn't _right_ for you anymore. You. _An animal."_ Louis feels the blood pulse in his veins, "I didn't think they made four-legged trousers yet, do they? I mean, then you'll really know that you belong here. When you can entirely pretend to be something that you're not."

Louis forces a smile at Zayn who reciprocates just as coldly. Niall stands between them with his eyes wide and a piece of scone hanging off his cheek.

"No trousers yet. But, you know, they do make some remarkable pillows out of pretty little wings like yours. Would you like me to get an estimate for you?"

Zayn walks forward towards Louis and touches the side of his wing gently. Louis stops himself from flinching. Behind Zayn he can see the sky turning pink with the dawn above the mountain. It's nearly morning. They're running out of time.

"We'll all be meeting at the harbour in a few minutes," Zayn continues, "I believe that's on your way home, isn't it? You can come with me and we'll see how much a pretty pair of wings like that would go for around here. All I have to do is ask."

Zayn grabs onto Louis wrist making him inhale sharply. Louis looks into the familiar face and pictures a hundred days passing between them. Zayn isn't a stranger to Louis by any means, but he feels like one now.

"Well, I think we better be goin' now!" Niall interjects, coming between them both. Zayn lets go of Louis and steps back, letting one side of his lip curl up in a humourless half-smile.

"Perhaps I'll see you two again soon," he says softly, not letting his eyes leave Louis' hardened face.

"Perhaps!" Niall says grabbing Louis by the arm and dragging him away down the street, "and good luck findin' those pants."  

Niall pulls Louis away to the street, his hooves clacking again on the rough cobble stones. Already, Louis can hear movement from inside the cottages they pass. Fires being lit. Stoves being started for breakfasts. In a few minutes the streets will be filled with people starting their day.

"Say hi to that merman for me, won't you Louis?" Zayn yells after them with a wave.

Louis pauses for a moment as his wings twitch uncomfortably. He doesn't dare look back. The thought of Zayn knowing about Harry, _knowing Harry at all_ makes Louis grit his teeth together and the tingling of anxiety flare up inside his gut. Zayn left the woods to align himself with the dirty dealings of the harbour. Louis isn't sure exactly what value he has to the humans down there, but he knows it can't be anything good. This place makes him uneasy for a reason, and he always listens to his gut.

Niall tugs him along in silence, quickening their pace as the sun spills out over the mountaintop washing the village in warm morning light. Louis keeps the blouse tucked under his arm for Harry, though his excitement about it is tainted. They continue their way down the dirt path to the woods. As they pass the Harbour, Louis catches sight of a large ship being anchored by the docks. It's dark sails whip wildly in the wind as the voices on board carry up into the air around him. Louis shivers inexplicably and wraps his wings around himself.

Turning sharply to the left, Louis and Niall aim for the safe haven of the gnarled trees and the clean, bright waves of the sea.


	15. "The hand to put your heart in"

**Today Harry is feeling brave.** Louis asked him to come to the beach for a little rendezvous, as he cheekily called it, and Harry can't help but think this is going to be an especially good day for the both of them. In fact, he's determined to make it so.

Liam is finally starting to come around to the idea of Louis, and Niall just laughed his way through their entire story then went and got himself a potato, so as far as Harry is concerned, there doesn't seem to be anything left in their way. Except for maybe the whole habitat discrepancy, but he's come up with an idea that just might help.

Harry sees Louis from a distance, waiting patiently at the edge of the tide pool, and Harry feels warm all over at the mere sight of him. As he swims closer, he notices that Louis has done something different with his hair. Instead of it falling over his eyes and sticking up on all sides in a disheveled heap, he's brushed it back so that his fringe curls over to one side in a neat chestnut swirl. He look so good it's actually confusing. Even his wings look glossy and tidied up.

"Did you get fancy for me, Lou?" Harry asks as soon as he's in ear shot, "should I have done something with my own hair? I can maybe manage a top knot if you're interested."

"No need to try and beat me at my own game, Harry, you'll just disappoint yourself," Louis responds with a cheeky wave of his hand, "you can remain the wet one and I'll take the lead as handsome one."

"But I like the way you look all cute and soggy," Harry muses playfully. He shimmies his way up the beach meeting Louis beside the shore.

"Of course you do, you sadist! I'm only ever soggy when something has gone terribly wrong and you get come to my rescue."

"We could change that today if you want," Harry suggests with an eager look, "I have an idea."

Louis gives him a wary look. "The sea hasn't exactly been good to me, Haz, in case you've forgotten."

"But you trust me, remember?" Harry offers an encouraging wink and Louis finds himself walking further into the waves despite his reservations and the epic rolling of his eyes.

Mermen can be very persuasive when they want to be. It probably comes from their long histories as alluring Sirens coaxing unsuspecting sailors to their demise. Harry has got it on pretty good authority that his face is very hard to say no to.

"I'm never going to have a dry day again with you, am I?" Louis grumbles as he walks into the water up to his waist.

"Think of it as an evolutionary step," Harry offers, grabbing hold of Louis' hands and slowly leading him out until he's treading water alongside him, "someday we'll be such sophisticated creatures this won't even be strange at all."

"Someday, sure..." Louis echoes with a hint of derision.

Harry watches Louis' blue eyes flicker brightly in the reflection of the sun bouncing off the waves as he paddles dutifully following Harry's lead. His neck is stretched upwards to keep it well above the waves and Harry can tell that he's nervous.

"I want you to feel safe with me," Harry says gently, "I know it's not easy."

Louis nods even though he knows it should be the other way around. It's not Harry that should be helping Louis out of his shell, its Louis who should be showing Harry how much he matters too. Louis suddenly remembers the blouse he snagged from the village and curses himself for forgetting it. His run-in with Zayn rattled him, but he shakes away the thought of the other night and tries to concentrate on not swallowing a mouthful of salt water.

Louis knows that in all likelihood nothing between him and Harry will be easy, but if they keep taking these steps, maybe he'll get the chance to prove himself too. Maybe they'll be able to find a place at the centre of everything where it all just works. Maybe they really can evolve into something greater than the sum of their parts. At the very least, he's certainly willing to try.

Harry guides Louis to the edge of the tide pool where the sea floor drops dramatically into the coral reef. Taking both Louis' hands in his, Harry instructs him to take a breath.

"Ready Lou?"

"M'ready."

Louis keeps his eyes shut tightly at first as he feels the sounds of the air get sucked out and replaced by the muted hum of the sea. He briefly feels a wave of unease as he recalls the last time he was underwater like this, with Liam attacking him in the middle of the night, but then the low vibration of Harry's voice rings in his ears, accompanied by a stream of bubbles tickling against his nose.

"Open your eyes," Harry says. His voice comes out the same as it does on land, deep and rich, but under the sea its accompanied by a dreamy echo that sounds off like a soft whisper in his ear.

Louis does as he's told, opening his eyes carefully. He really is at Harry's mercy now, which seems to be a repeating pattern in their budding friendship.

As his eyes adjust to the water, the first thing he notices is how bright the sun is, shimmering over the reef through the impossibly clear water. It illuminates the sea around them almost as brightly as it does the sky, sending rays down from the surface to the sandy floor and ricocheting off the prismatic colours of the coral. Fish swim about lazily creating an orchestrated flutter of fins that makes the water flow around them like a gentle wind.

Louis turns to set his eyes on Harry looking nothing short of magnificent in the middle of it all. He floats effortlessly in front of Louis watching him intently. His long tail fin curls behind him, sparkling in the trickle of light like it's made up of a million tiny mirrors. His brown curls sway in every direction, framing his face like a soft cloud.

This is Harry's world and Louis wants nothing more than to be a part of it. Yet, the impossibility of that idea strikes him suddenly and it makes him heartsick. He can't even breathe down here. He can't breathe at all.

Louis points above him, signalling to Harry that he needs a breath. But when he moves to kick upwards for the surface, Harry doesn't let go. Louis looks at him with a moment of panic as he feels the strain of his emptying lungs. But then Harry leans in and suddenly his mouth is over his, sealing it closed with a welcome breath of air.

Harry said he wants Louis to trust him and so he does. Louis inhales deeply, filing his lungs with air. Bubbles spill out around them in a flurry and his panic starts to evaporate. He expects Harry to pull away after, but he doesn't. Instead Harry pulls him in closer, tugging his hands towards him so Louis is suddenly flush against his chest. Harry moves his arms around Louis' body until they rest on the small of his back. With his own hands free, Louis' gingerly brushes the skin on Harry's chest, finding the fine, papery edges of his gills hidden between the bones of his ribcage.

At his touch, Louis feels Harry's breath hitch and he leans in harder in response. It's only when Harry parts his lips does Louis let his own eyes flutter closed as he discovers the light taste of salt on Harry's tongue.

Louis' heart hammers like it's trying to escape from his chest, but he's completely frozen in place. His hands are holding onto Harry like an anchor as the merman's tail fin begins to wrap itself around his lower half. The realization of what is truly happening finally dawns on him, Louis pulls away from Harry with a jolt and kicks upwards to the surface for a breath and a desperate reality check.

Louis scampers up onto the the nearest rock and takes several deep breaths of fresh air. His head is buzzing and his ears are plugged with water so even on the surface everything still sounds like an echo. A moment later Harry bursts from the water, his eyes wide with worry.

"Lou, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done that," he stammers running his hands through his hair, "I just thought...It was just...I don't-"

Louis stops him quickly by leaning over the side of the rock and pulling his face up so that it is an inch away from his own. Harry chews on his bottom lip and furrows his brows. He's so adorably embarrassed, Louis can't help but sigh.

"You _kissed_ me, you little shit," he smiles enormously at Harry who still looks thoroughly mortified, "you want some more?" Louis asks quietly, letting his voice rumble in a lowly purr. He shakes his feathers out, causing a small rainfall of sea water to sprinkle over them both. Harry's eyes grow into two enormous green spheres taking up half his face.

" _Yes,_ " he practically shouts, hoisting himself onto the rock beside Louis.

"Well, you'll have to wait," Louis chirps brightly, leaping away from him onto his feet and running towards the opposite end of the rock.

Harry sits up abruptly as Louis stretches out his wings to fly. "You're not leaving?"

"I just remembered that I have something for you. A gift of sorts. And I nearly died retrieving it for you too, Harry, so let me get it now before you distract me again with that beautiful mouth."

Harry giggles and lies down on the rock. "You think I have a beautiful mouth, Lou?"

"You just sit tight, Hazzafish, and mull that over. I'll be back in a wink," Louis chirps taking to the air and although Harry remains grounded on the rock, his heart is soaring.

*****

Once Louis is gone, Harry exhales in deeply in one long, trembling breath. He reaches his arms back around his head and beams at the sky before flipping around onto his stomach and drumming his hands on the cool stone. He cannot stay put. Harry follows the disappearing spec in the air that is Louis and whines quietly to himself. He just kissed Louis. He just _kissed_ him underwater. He wants to do it again immediately, so much so that it's making him ache.

 _You want some more?_ He replays Louis' question in his head then curls himself up into a tight ball. He's so excited he could throw up.

Harry looks over towards the water and then, to his surprise, sees a little orange nose peeking out from below the surface. He leans down over the edge and smiles brightly at Olivia who peers up at him shyly from the water.

"Hello love," he beams, "you weren't watching this whole time, were you?" She just blinks at him slowly. "Well, at least someone witnessed it so I can't convince myself it was all in my imagination."

Olivia swims up to Harry's face and places a light kiss in the space between his eyebrows. Seems as though she missed him.

"Thank you for that," Harry says, "but when Louis gets back, you have to shoo. We were in the...middle of something."

Olivia blows a few bubbles in disagreement making Harry chuckle.

"We can spend a whole day together soon, I promise!" he says brightly, picking her up in his palm.

Somewhere in the distance, Harry hears the familiar cry of a bird. He lets go of Olivia and sits upright, pausing to listen more closely. When it calls out again, he's almost certain it sounds exactly like Louis.

"Do y'thing he wants me to follow him?" Harry asks Olivia excitedly, "He did say he had a surprise, didn't he?"

Another squawk echoes in the air and Harry moves to follow the sound, then looks over his shoulder at Olivia.

"Wish me luck!" he calls to her before nosediving into the water.

After some time, the sun disappears above the sea leaving only a wispy grey sky and, still, Louis is nowhere to be found. Instead of his calls leading Harry towards the shallows like he thought, they seem to be spinning Harry around in circles and now he's found himself at the entrance of Modest cove.

He's not sure why Louis would bring him here of all places when they have a whole beach to themselves in the shallows, but this is Louis surprise, so Harry merely shrugs and heads inside.

"Lou?" He calls out, waiting for another sound to lead the way.

The wind picks up as it funnels inside the small cove like a vacuum and a shadow of grey clouds darkens the sky above him. The branches of the willows along the shoreline rustle to and fro as Harry swims eagerly towards the beach, expecting to see Louis hiding somewhere behind the branches. But, instead, he finds someone else.

"Hullo again" Zayn says as he pushes the willows away and steps out onto the narrow beach. He's wearing a clean black jacket this time that blends in with his equine coat; it seems odd.

Harry stops swimming. The air is chilly out in the open and if Louis isn't here, he's certainly waiting for him somewhere nearby.

"Zayn, hi. I think I might be lost again," Harry begins to say before the wind picks up, making the water tremble all around him.

"No, you're not lost." Zayn replies simply. A loud rumble of thunder sounds in the distance.

Harry watches Zayn bring a small whistle out of his pocket and to his lips. When he blows into it the squawking cry of a Harpy rings loudly through the cove and Harry's face falls. Louis isn't here. And he isn't nearby.

Harry starts to move backwards towards the open sea, but he doesn't make it far. Something heavy is suddenly thrown over his body, dragging it down into the water. Harry grabs at it, feeling the bristly braids of a ropes as they begin to tangle and snake around his body.

"Zayn!" Harry calls out to the beach, but it's already empty. At the entrance of the cove Harry can just make out the bow of a large ship closing off his exit.

Harry thrashes around, panic rising in his chest. His tail whips violently from side to side but the rope just keeps getting tighter. The rough sisal constricts around him and the net is yanked roughly towards the ship. The strands of rope begin to shred his skin and scales, cutting deep gashes that leave a trail of red behind him.

The sky opens up with the crack of lightening and sheets of rain begin pouring down, blanketing the cove in the frantic spattering of water that matches Harry's own hysteria. From below, tucked away against the shadow of the large ship, Olivia helplessly watches as Harry is heaved onto the boat to a roar of cheers.


	16. "Your beauty could start a war."

**CONCERNING CENTAURS**   
**Fabled Wildlife Manual, pg. 50**

_Most believe the personality of a centaur is caught somewhere between its two natures, embodied in contrasting myths. On one side, they are the symbol of untamed nature, the epitome of a wild beast. On the other side they are thoughtful, refined beings with abilities that align closely with our own (human) sensibilities._

_While the centaur's natural habitat is the dense forest, their sense of adventure and curiosity has lead many to prefer being closer to the bustle of populated villages and towns._

_The centaur's ability to absorb and understand the basics of human nature has created a natural alliance between them and humans. And the Centaurs' knowledge of both worlds have been useful in bridging the gap of understanding the ways of the wild.  Though, many still hold onto the opinion that centaurs will always be two-sided beasts, caught between two ideals. This has created a riff in the approach to modern centaurs and their relationships to humans leaving the relationship to denigrate._

_Centaurs have often tried to prove themselves worthy of human privilege by assimilating into social societies rather than their prescribed feral lifestyle, but the success rate of these cases has been low. Proud creatures, like the centaur don't take well to criticism or confrontation, though they are generally peaceful and non-violent._

_In successful cases, urban centaurs have been utilized for their strength and wisdom, but a true bond between us and them is yet to be determined._

 

 **[Chapter 16]** _"Your beauty could start a war."_

Zayn bolts through the woods at full speed, darting through the trees quickly as the rain begins to mist through the canopy of trees. In a minute, everything will be soaked through as the limp leaves give way to the force of the relentless water. The forest will wake tomorrow swept in a fresh blanket of green, blissfully forgetful of the stormy chaos that created it. 

Zayn isn't sure if he'll be able to forget this night as easily. Already he's trying not to replay the look on Harry's face when the net seized him. He tries not to think about the shock in his eyes when they flashed with terror in the crack of lightning.

He can't think of that now. He just needs to find the Captain and then his part in all of this will be over.

His eyes start to prickle with the threat of tears, but he blinks them back. The centaur is not about to look weak now. Not after all he's given up for this.

There's another roll of thunder and Zayn quickens his pace. This path through the woods is familiar to him and he easily avoids the jutting roots and loose stones without having to watch where he is going.

Turning towards the end of the jutting peninsula that encircles the cove, Zayn finds the Captain. He waits impatiently in a thick leather coat and hood beside a drawn wooden plank that serves as a narrow bridge onto the ship's cargo hold. 

"You have him then?" Zayn asks. He has to shout over the heavy drumming of water around them, but it's a question he doesn't really have to ask.

He can already hear the men on board struggling as they try to heave Harry's thrashing body onto the deck. Zayn has heard about the legendary strength of the mermaids, and the way the wood creaks and slams under the weight of their efforts is further proof that his knowledge was not wrong.

Zayn catches clips of Harry's desperate yells on the wind as he tries to fight them off, but the men have tools and weapons, not to mention the advantage of having him tied out of the water. Zayn didn't want to have to witness any of it, but standing here now he's forced to hear it and imagine everything taking place on board.

Another loud yell echoes from the deck, and Zayn tries not to wince at the harrowing sound. He wills the merman to be quiet, to be calm. It'll be easier for Harry if he does as he's told. But he knows the merman is fighting for his life. It makes Zayn grit his teeth and press his nails into the skin of his fists.

"Yes, we got it," the Captain nods. His voice comes out slow and cold. "It will be sedated and safely bound for the journey."

 _It_. Zayn swallows down the lump in his throat.

"You were right about the bird call," the Captain continues, "but tell me, why would a mermaid follow the sound of a Harpy? I've never heard of that before. It's not in the manual."

Zayn pauses and tries to keep his face as blank as possible. "Just a guess," he shrugs.

The Captain surveys him suspiciously from under his dark hood. He knows, just as Zayn does, that it will take half a dozen men to subdue the merman, but Zayn lured him out with only a little brass whistle.

Harry might be a near stranger to him, but Zayn knew the whistle would work because he knows Louis. Zayn guessed it while talking to Harry in the cove days ago, and he saw it when Louis and Harry floated up on the beach together. They didn't see him at all, watching from the trees, they only had eyes for each other.

But Zayn _knew_ it would work for certain after he saw Louis' wings twitch at the mere mention of Harry's name back in the village.

Louis has always been transparent like the waters of the tide pool. He's driven by emotions and would go to hell and back for his friends. Zayn knows this because Louis tried to do it for him when he was convinced of finding a different life for himself. Louis did everything he could to make him stay, to warn him, but in the end, the village won and it turned Zayn into someone he doesn't recognize much anymore.

Zayn always struggled with knowing where he belongs, whether it was nestled in the calm monotony of the forest or surrounded by civilization and the leering faces of men like the Captain. At this moment, Zayn isn't so sure he picked right. 

"We should have had more of you around during the old hunts," the Captain drawls, "would have made catching Mers a lot easier if all we had to do was blow on a whistle. I know at the very least there'd be a few in my crew who still had some of their limbs attached."

Zayn was only a colt when the last mermaid hunt took place, but he remembers the blood that stained the beaches and how the red in the waves lingered in the cove for weeks. The men in the village filled in the rest of the blanks for him over cigarettes in the basement taverns. They bragged about the gold they made through trading bits and pieces of the bodies, and laughed like somehow that made the bloodshed more acceptable.

Some of them have been hungry for another hunt for years, but their loud, clumsy habits wouldn't allow much success. They needed a centaur like Zayn, a creature of both worlds, and he agreed.

Zayn smiles stiffly at the Captain. "And about our bargain?" he asks.

The Captain cocks his head to the side. "When we get what the Mer is worth, you'll get what you were promised."

"You said..." Zayn starts but is quickly cut off by the Captain's growl.

"I said get us a mermaid. When we get our payout, you can go home," the Captain half-smiles and watches Zayn's reaction intently.

The Captain is looking for a brash reaction from Zayn, for emotion, a chance to treat him like a beast rather than an equal. It's how he got himself in this situation in the first place, by trusting too easily. Trust is a weakness disguised as virtue, but the Captain won't find it in Zayn.

"Of course," he feigns indifference, "and my family then?" Zayn doesn't want to show his mounting desperation, but it's beginning to sneak up on him in the quiver of his lip.

"I told you they were safe. You'll see them once the merman is sold for that pretty penny you promised," the captain sneers, "that was the bargain."

Zayn nods, keeping his jaw clenched tightly. He tugs at the sleeves of his jacket that has become heavy and cold.

"Come along then, Zayn," the captain nods towards the boat.

"Oh, I don't need to come with you," he mumbles, turning to leave but the Captain's hand is suddenly gripping his shoulder.

"It wasn't a question. I need you on board in case something happens to that mermaid before we get there. Travel can be so stressful. If things go awry, we may need a handsome face like yours to settle the our debts," he says, taking Zayn's chin between his fingers and laughing. "Now get up there and get comfortable. It'll be a bumpy go in this weather."

Zayn laughs along, humouring the Captain's joke but believing none of it. He knows very well that he's one decision away from being strung up on someone's mantle like a trophy. At least on board the ship he can make sure Harry stays alive long enough for the transaction to be complete. Then maybe, he'll get his freedom back.

Zayn walks up the plank slowly and onto the ship. The Captain follows, clunking his heavy boots along the wood like the thud of a ticking clock.

He tugs his jacket closed in the biting wind, but it feels tight around him already, like a harness. The delicate fabric only serving as a rouse to control him, make him feel like he belongs. But he'll never belong here with them. He knows this now.

To them, he's just another animal.


	17. "Fire for a heart"

**Louis realizes quickly that he must be a very stupid bird** to just jet off like that when Harry was mere inches away from his face. He realizes this only when he's already halfway to the shallows and the excitable buzzing in his chest starts to subside. He had Harry's face right in the palm of his hands and he panicked instead of acting on it like any normal creature would do. Louis is a very stupid, _cowardly_ bird. 

Swooping onto his treetop nest, he starts tearing it apart as quickly as he can, frantically searching for the silk blouse he snatched for Harry in the village. He must have thrown it somewhere carelessly when they got back and now it feels like every second he spends here is another second wasted away from his merman.

Harry with his green eyes like algae and his imperfectly perfect curly hair. Harry and the sprinkling of sea salt that covers his his entire body like tasty glitter.

Louis is not trying to think of Harry like a piece of meat set to be devoured, but part of him can't help it. His mind keeps imagining what it might be like to nip at the warm skin on Harry's chest and he can't stop thinking about the kinds of trails he could trace on him from neck to navel.

Louis' never had these kinds of thoughts before and they're making his face go slack-jawed. So, as much as he's beating himself up for leaving Harry alone, Louis figures he really did need a moment to get his head back to a reasonably controlled place between his shoulders instead of letting it roll around freely in the wistful recesses of his wild imagination. He's already tried to eat Harry for real, and now that he's wanting to do things of a similar nature (albeit with an entirely different purpose and outcome) it's probably better that Louis gives himself some space before he scares the right shit out of Harry again.

So Harry kissed him. He kissed him underwater of all places. At least Louis managed to reciprocate with the smoothest line in the history of the wild world. It's not everyday he manages to sound something like a self assured sex wolf, but he thinks he's done pretty well for himself thus far. Louis really hasn't had much experience with these kinds of things in the past, but he saw Harry's eyes sparkle when he held his face and that's enough to make Louis feel like a goddamn king.

Louis huffs in exasperation. He can't find the damn blouse anywhere, so he sits on the edge of his nest and sets his efforts on clearing the deafening buzzing going on inside his head. He's not really sure what to do next. What _do_ you do when a merman wraps himself around you like that? What comes next?

*****

Louis hears the plucking of lute strings coming from the beach and remembers that Niall has recently taken up teaching Liam how to play. He can hear them now from his perch; it sounds like Niall is trying to teach Liam a particularly difficult chord by the way Liam is cursing with frustration. Louis decides to hop over quickly before he heads back to Harry. Maybe the lads will have something to help muffle his complicated thought parade.

"Why are ya all wet?" Niall ask him suspiciously when Louis marches out from the tangle of trees. He's sitting on the edge of the water and leaning against the sandy bank while Liam tries desperately to sort out his limbs for a bar chord.

Louis tries to think of a snappy retort for Niall, but only manages to grin, crinkling his eyes at the corners so much that they look nearly closed.

Niall understands immediately and tilts his head back into a kind laugh. "Good for you, Lou."

Even Liam manages to smirk. It took them a few days, but Liam and Louis have managed to get over their differences, or, at least _most_ of them. They have to Niall thank for that as he seems to be made up of friendship glue. It's hard not be in a good mood around him, even when your sharing his company with the beast that tried to kill you. So what? Bygones be bygones.

"It's not that strange is it?" Louis asks as he gets comfortable beside Niall, "I mean, lots of birds take to the water, right? I don't think it's that strange."

Louis looks at both of them but their blank facial expressions don't give him much of anything.

"Sure, lots of water fowl," Niall agrees with a slow nod, "ducks, storks, platypus."

"Platypus is not a bird," Liam corrects him.

"Oh right. Swan then?"

"Yes," Louis agrees, "I'm like a swan. It's not weird for them, it shouldn't be weird for me. Right?"

"Aren't swans supposed to be violent arseholes?" Liam asks then nods with an amused grin, "actually yeah, that makes sense. You're like a swan!"

"Congratulations!" Niall adds with gusto.

Louis rolls his eyes and decides to ignore the mild insult. "I appreciate it, lads. But face it. He didn't stand a chance, look," Louis rolls over onto his side and strikes a pose, expanding his damp wing into the air above him, "I hear they paint portraits of this shit in the villages."

Liam wrinkles his forehead with blasé look. "You still look like a bird to me."

"Well I wouldn't expect _you_ to understand, Liam," Louis squawks, "didn't you just crawl out from a crusty seashell not too long ago?"

"I'm not an hermit crab! You mammals know nothing of the sea!" Liam cries out jokingly.

"Pardon me, but I know plenty," Louis snarks, "you're just too _abyss_ -mal for me. I prefer the fancy-looking reef dwellers if you haven't noticed."

"Apparently you prefer their bad jokes as well." Liam teases.  

Niall barks out a laugh. "Where is the the fancy fellow now anyways?" he asks.

"Over there," Louis points to the sea and Niall and Liam both raise their eyebrows at him.

"You left him out there?" Niall asks incredulously.

"Why? Should I not have?" Louis' face falls, "am I a complete twat? Liam, am I a twat?"

"Well..."

"Don't answer that, you're too biased!"

Niall and Liam try to stifle their chuckles. "So you and him...?" Niall prods.

Louis nods. "Yes."

"And then you... _left_?"

"Yes! Ah fuck, I am a twat." Louis rolls around on the sand and buries his face in his arms.

"I could have told you that," Liam mumbles.

"Watch yourself, calamari," Louis snaps his head back up from the ground, "I was just starting to like you."

He gets up and ruffles his feathers, stretching his wings out to fly. Then a rumble in the sky makes all three of them look out towards the sea. The water start to shake with early drops of rain as the wind suddenly picks up around them. Ahead, a grey wall of rain rolls towards the beach with alarming speed bringing a hover of dark clouds along with it.

Niall, Liam, and Louis run and take cover in the nearby trees just as the storm reaches the beach. Liam uses his arms to hold up branches as covering. The water swirls back and forth creating large white-capped waves that leap up onto the sand in sloppy, wet bursts.

"D'ya you think Harry is okay out there?" Louis asks tensely.

"He's fine," Liam assures him, "he loves storms. The water gets all frothy and fizzy for him. He calls it a bubble bath. "

Louis nods with relief. He pauses for a moment and tries to start a new sentence three times before finally spitting the words out.

"What do you two know about mates?" he asks finally. He doesn't look at either of them, choosing instead to busy himself by playing with a small leaf sprouting from the ground. Liam and Niall exchange startled looks with one another before answering.

"Mates," Liam says slowly, "You mean like all of us?"

"Not exactly," Louis' voice cracks at the end and he tries to cover it with a cough.

Niall snorts and pats Louis' head. "He means like when two loving creatures come together and do a special kind of snuggling..."

"Ahhh ha," Liam plays along, "you mean the birds and the bees?"

Louis feels his cheeks grow hot despite the cool winds from the storm. "I know all about the birds and the bees, thank you very much! I just...I mean _why_ do they call it 'the birds and the bees' and not the birds and the birds?"

"Harry isn't a bird, Louis," Liam tells him.

"He's not a bee either!" Louis chirps. He has no idea what he's trying to prove here. Niall's face is all twisted up in confusion and Liam is chuckling like somehow Louis' biological turmoil isn't a problem at all.

"I think you're thinking about this too much," Liam says after seeing the gutted look on Louis' face, "if Harry could fly, would it change the way you feel about him?

"No 'course not!"

"And if you could swim, do you think that would change how he feels about you?"

Louis shakes his head. "I don't think so, no."

"Then I think that's all you need to pay attention to right now. How you feel and how he feels. The rest is just formality," Liam says gently, "Harry wouldn't want you to worry about this kind of thing either. He'll be good to you so just be good to him too. He's quite soft you know."

Louis nods again. He knows exactly what Liam is saying. "Have you ever had him look at you? I mean _really_ look at you, and his eyes just stay there on yours and it feels like the whole world could go right up in flames around you both but he'd just stay there, looking at you."

"Fecking christ, Lou..." Niall murmurs.

"That is really lovely, Louis," Liam nods in agreement, "should we give it a try then, Niall?"

Niall looks up at Liam quizzically then grins mischievously. He grabs hold of Liam's face and stares deeply into his eyes.  "You're such a beauty, Liam, like a muscly puppy with those brown eyes."

"Hmm likewise," Liam adds with a low whistle, "you're a blonde mutton blossom, you are."

"Oh, please keep talking your poetries to me, you rubbery rascal!" Niall cackles, breaking his straight face and Liam joins in on the laugh.

"Okay! Get away from me both of you. You've made you're point, I am a mess!" Louis chirps with an exasperated sigh, "big help you've been. Might as well have asked that clown fish over there for help," Louis points to the sea where a bright orange spot in indeed flapping about near the shore.

"Hey! That looks like Olivia!" Liam shouts. He drops the branches covering them from his tentacles and starts moving towards the water.

"Olivia?" Louis perks up. She may only be the size of a pebble but he still wants to make a good impression if she's one of Harry's best friends. From what Harry has told him about her she seems like she would be a tad hard to please too.

Louis and Niall get up to follow Liam to the beach. Thankfully the rain has started to subside so it's only a light shower instead of the monsoon they witnessed earlier.

Olivia frantically pops in and out of the water, flopping back and forth as Liam tries to catch her in his hands. Her constant movements makes her slip away from him again and again until she finally jumps high enough to clear Liam altogether and lands in front of Louis at the edge of the water. 

"What does she want?" Niall asks as Louis leans over towards the water. She stops moving immediately and puckers her tiny mouth to touch Louis outstretched hand.

"Dunno," Liam shrugs, "Harry is the only one who can really speak to her. He has a a way with little creatures, he calls it his 'ooly tooly.'"

Louis smiles at the fish. "Hello Liv. I'm Louis," he goes to stroke her head in greeting, but Olivia starts jumping frantically again, turning towards the sea and back again.

The three of them look down at her strangely, so she starts spitting water in the direction of the sea until they all discover the large ship that has come into view on the horizon.

"That's odd," Niall remarks, "We 'aven't seen a ship round here a while."

A feeling of dread climbs up Louis' stomach to his throat. He watches the dark sails flap in the wind and narrows his eyes trying to remember where he knows that ship from. The village comes to mind, but he's not sure why, until he hears Zayn's voice in his head. _Say hello to the merman for me, won't you?_

Louis turns back to the fish. "Olivia, where's Harry?" Louis asks her slowly.

Olivia's little eyes stare at him intensely. She does a final leap and spits once again, shooting a stream of water towards the ship.

"You don't think..?" Liam starts to say to him, but Louis is already shaking the rain from his fringe and back up the beach for a running start.

"Louis, wait. We need a plan," Niall calls out, but Louis is beyond listening to either of them.

"It's Zayn," Louis growls, "they wanted Harry. I left him out there and," his voice hitches in his throat, "and they must have got him."

" _Feckin_ ' Zayn!" Niall shouts, tugging at his horns as his own temper flares. Before they can say another word, Louis takes off above them in the air towards the ship without a second glance.

"Who is Zayn?" Liam asks Niall.

"I'll tell ya on the way. We gotta catch up before Louis tears into that ship like a bat outta hell and gets himself killed."

Olivia has stopped moving and breathes heavy with exhaustion. "You did good little one," Liam tells her, then turns to Niall, "you aren't scared at bit?" 

"Hey, I've got me some sea muscle right here," Niall says pointing at Liam and moving his arms around like he's flexing four sets of tentacles, "The prawn with the brawn, right?"

"I'm not a pr-oh, never mind!" Liam rolls his eyes and slides into the water up to his waist.

Niall climbs onto Liam so that he's sitting comfortably on his shoulders, and grips onto Liam's neck for balance. Liam holds Niall's ankles in front of him and starts following Louis' flight path towards the black ship. He hears Niall inhale sharply as they crash through the raucous waves without the slightest idea of what they might be in for.


	18. "Twist the knife"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this chapter came about from using one of pass-the-pencil's drawings as a writing prompt: captured!harry

**Harry's slack body is tossed inside a small glass tank filled with tepid water.** The impact shocks him awake and he gives off a muffled shout before a lid slams shut above him leaving him trapped with nothing but his echo. He spins about in the sloshing water, struggling to twist his fin and shoulders in the narrow space, but finds his arms and tail are bound tightly with thick ropes and every move shoots stinging pain through his skin.

The last thing Harry remembers is thunder, rain, and the hard crack of his jaw colliding with a fist. He must have blacked out after that. There's blood on his mouth now, he can feel it sticking to his teeth. He runs his tongue along the edge of his mouth and winces when he gets to the open split down the centre of his lip. Harry whimpers quietly as the water settles around him in the tiny, cramped tank.

After a long, slow breath to calm himself down, Harry sets his eyes to adjusting to the dark room around him. There is only one swinging lantern overhead that casts dark shadows upon the walls. From what he can make out in the dim light, there are boxes stacked high, or possibly cages, and more lines of rope hanging on pegs in the wall. There's a wooden table and a single chair to match in the corner, but he doesn't see any windows. This must be in a cargo room of sorts. He is surely a far cry from the coral reef, and, he's not alone.

A man stares down at him from the centre of the room, a thin smile playing across his face. The smile brings no brightness to his dark eyes that remain dull and unblinking. Harry doesn't recognize him as being among the other men who dragged him aboard. He stands differently, upright and proud. His hair is dark and neatly combed; he looks altogether out of place in the dank, dingy room.

"Look what they did to you," he tuts at Harry sadly, "those naughty boys don't take orders very well now do they?"

Harry hears the stomping of feet from the deck overhead where he imagines the crew are jostling and congratulating each other for subduing him. He feels his temper begin to flare up hotly on his cheeks. He's always managed to escape before. Always. 

Harry keeps his face low in the water letting only his eyes peer out above the surface. The tank is small, barely bigger than his own body, and made up of glass on all sides so he can be seen at every angle. The water, however, isn't clear at all. It's almost opaque and grey with sediment and Harry notices it's starting to taste like blood; he can feel the throb of the lattice of open wounds along his body, cut deep by the ropes. Harry also notices a hint of vapour coming from the surface of the water that stings his eyes with the sour scent of vinegar. Despite all this, he tries to stay as still as possible. Remaining mystery is his only defence now.

"Captain Cowell, you called for me?" comes a new voice. Harry flicks his eyes upwards and sees the dark outline of Zayn standing in the doorway through the glass. Harry stifles a lowly growl.

"Ah, Zayn, yes. Come in," the Captain drawls, pointing to Harry, "I wanted you to see the fruit of your labour."

Zayn walks into the room and looks pale in the harsh spotlight, not at all like the beaming centaur Harry met on the shore. Harry can see that Zayn's hands are shaking and when he meets Harry's eyes, Zayn crosses his arms to hide his trembling before looking away.

With Zayn in the room now, the Captain signals for him to close the door then swiftly walks up to the tank and lifts the lid. The move surprises Harry and he jerks backwards away from him, sending water over the edge of the tank and onto the floor. Kneeling down, the Captain shushes Harry and brings his hand down onto his forehead to brush a piece of hair away from his eyes. He's gentle enough that Harry almost relaxes until the Captain takes a small knife from his boot strap and clicks the blade open with flash.

Harry barely has a chance to gasp before the Captain cuts through ropes around him with one smooth slice. They fall away around him and instantly Harry feels a bit better. He takes deeper breaths and and tries to create as much space between himself and the Captain above the tank.

"We're not going to make a fuss now, are we?" the Captain asks Harry quietly. His voice is low and seemingly kind, but it carries a threatening edge to it that makes Harry press further into the glass behind him. He still holds the knife plainly in his hand so Harry lets his tail fall limply to the bottom in compliance. The Captain smiles at Harry's obedience, displaying a single gold incisor in his toothy grin.

"See Zayn, you want them to be at least a little comfortable," the Captain instructs. Zayn shuffles quietly behind him, his hands rigid against his chest and his mouth pressed into a tight line across his face. He doesn't look at Harry, choosing instead to stare at the floor.

"Being stressed and anxious will dull their shine," he continues, "some will even shed some of their scales, like a dying rose."

The Captain reaches into the tank and holds Harry down with an iron grasp and he cries out when the Captain suddenly stabs the sharp edge of his knife into his fin, peeling off a single green scale like a flower petal. Holding the scale, he lets Harry go and holds it up to the light, studying it carefully.

"You're a young one I see. Twenty, twenty-one maybe? Practically a baby," the Captain muses. Seemingly satisfied, he tucks the scale into his breast pocket and turns back to Harry. He steps forward once again and pulls Harry up by the scruff of his hair so that his face is out of the water. Harry winces and turns his head from side to side to avoid looking at him. 

"You are a pretty one," the Captain says as his eyes move over Harry's face. Harry can't help but picture Louis all of a sudden and how much he loves that way his Harpy looks up close. How pretty he looked underwater surrounded by the same swirling blue that pools in his own eyes. Harry shuts his eyes tightly to block out the Captain's stare and holds onto that image instead.

"Everyone is going to want a piece of you when we get to Port Azoff," Harry hears the Captain say before grabbing onto Harry's chin. He pries his mouth open with dirty hands, rough and calloused with wear. Harry tries to pull his face away but the Captain holds it firm.

"You know, a single mermaid tooth could get me enough gold to last a entire month out here," he stays. 

The Captain then rubs his thumb against Harry's lip so that it starts bleeding all over again from the cut. "Pretty," he repeats to himself.

When he lets go, Harry jerks his body away from him so quickly his tail splashes out of the tank. Captain Cowell's eyes gleam as he stares at the shimmering gold at the edges of Harry's fin. Harry doesn't want to be anywhere near this man who clearly has nothing but dollar signs in his eyes. There is nothing safe about him and he has no where to hide being in this blatant display tank.

"No need for that," the Captain tisks, as Harry slides his fin back into the tank, hiding under the murky water. "Nice work, Zayn. He's a real catch."

The Captain pats Zayn on the back before turning back towards. "He may get snatched up whole by a buyer to be stuffed and mounted of a wall somewhere. Someone's ballroom maybe. Or else we'll be selling him off piece by piece," the Captain explains unnecessarily, "He'll be useful to folk in ways you wouldn't even imagine. Apothecaries haven't seen emerald scales like these for years, let alone gold ones. Smoked fin is also delicacy, you know. Or maybe someone will want those curls braided into bracelets for luck. The possibilities are endless, really."

The Captain walks forward one more time and Harry shudders, but he only moves to shut the lid on the tank and fastens the lock so Harry is secured inside.

"Oh, we can't have him bleeding everywhere once we port. He'll look too damaged. I'll have to have a word with those idiots about handling precious cargo," the Captain rolls his eyes.

"I'll have you mended first thing," he says to Harry, "that elixir in your water will help a little until the girl can get here. Least I can do for a prize like you, hm?" he turns towards the door. 

"Sleep well now," he tells Harry, "My god, are they going to love you."

The Captain walks through the doorway and disappears. Harry tries to glare at Zayn, but feels his eyes growing heavy. Did he say elixir? Is that what he smells? His whole body starts to feel heavy and he barely has the energy to let out the sob that's been trapped inside his throat since he arrived.

The last thing he sees his Zayn lingering in the doorway again, his eyes cast down to the floor. For a moment Harry thinks he might say something, but after a short pause he just closes the door behind him and Harry hears the heavy clink of the lock sliding in place.

Harry sinks to the bottom of the tank resting his head against the hard glass bottom.

"Where are you Lou...?" he murmurs faintly into the dark before succumbing to a dreadful sleep. 


	19. "Down came the lightening"

Louis is flying so fast he feels like his heart might burst from the burning in his chest. His wings, however, are feeling miraculouslyfit, which is a relief because this time he doesn't have a merman to catch him if hefalls. If he doesn't get to the ship soon he might not have a merman at all, but he tries to keep those thoughts at bay.

The ship looms ahead of him, growing larger as he approaches its dark sails. The body of the boat bobs up and down in the rolling waves like a whale and Louis feels a shudder of fear climb up his spine when he sees just how enormous it really is. Harry could be tucked away in any small corner of this thing. This is no time to be meticulous about a game plan. He's has toget in there quickly before his Hazzafish is gutted from fin to forehead.

Louis swoops in and out of the sails ofship and peers below him, surveying the deck to get his bearings. There's a few crew men milling around, so he settles into the crow's nest so he won't be spotted by them. Louis watches as two of themskip around, sword fighting with their mop handles and roaring with gruff, dopey laughter. Louis is about ready to tear into one of them merely on principle, but he restrainshimself **.**

They look to be cleaning the deck of...is that blood? Louis takes a deep breath and tries to focus. He had considered waiting for Liam and Niall to catch up first but he can't afford anymore time wasted. He shimmies down the mast to the deck and ducks behind a crate just as several crew men scamper by cracking one of the mop handles in half.

Louis heard a door slam somewhere to his left. He ducks further to the ground as a man in a crisp suit walks over to the men. Louis can tell this one is important; the Captain. The one who has Harry.

"Winston! Wootten! That's enough of that," the Captain barks at the men, "what did I tell you about acting like imbeciles?"

The men mumble a few sorrys and try to hold in their remaining laughter. Louis stifles a growl; they won't be laughing for long.

"I just had a look at the Mer," the Captain continues with a grim look. Louis' ears perk up and his heart starts to race, he leans in to hear more closely.

"What about it?" one of them asks.

The Captain glares at him. "It looks like it's been right through the ringer thanks to your rough handling. I've sedated it for now. Maybe you're both too young to know anything about mermaids but we need it _alive_ until Azoff, otherwise it is useless to us."

"Let Taylor fix it. That's what she's here for isn't it?" the other man asks.

"She's in there with him now, yes," the Captain snaps, "but a little more care next time would be favourable. It's only been twenty years since anybody has _seen_ a mermaid. Who knows when we'll get another chance at this. Understood?"

The men nod in unison. "Understood."

While the Captain distracts the crew with his lecture, Louis decides to sneak away. He quietly tiptoes towards the front of the ship where the Captain first appeared in hopes that that way will lead to an easy way inside. By the Captain's cabin, the first thing he finds is a cellar door carved into the deck that's been left ajar. Peering inside, the wide opening leads into nothing but pitch darkness, but it's better than nothing. Louis' heart beat drums in his ears. Harry is hurt somewhere, but Louis isn't far now. He climbs down through the opening.

_I'm coming for you, Harry._

*****

Liam and Niall reach the ship, finally, and Niall's hair is so viciously wind-blown, it stands up about a foot high high atop his head. It takes a minute for the feeling to return to his face. Who knew cecaelias were so fast in the water? It was like he was skipping over the waves like a tossed stone. Niall stretches out his mouth and tries to unplug his ears with his finger before looking up the length of the large ship. It is a very long way to the top.

"What now?" Niall asks, "we're about as small as two wee beetles compared to this 'ting."

Liam doesn't answer, but starts padding his tentacles onto the wood. He presses down on one and hears the promising pop of suction against the wood. Smiling, he shifts Niall off his shoulders and onto his back. "Hold on to my neck, Niall, we're going up!"

"Wot?" Niall squeaks in protest before Liam begins climbing the side of the ship vertically like a spider. His eight tentacles work together to keep them securely attached as each pad underneath pops as it sticks and unsticks to the wood panels. With his free hands, Liam holds onto Niall's arms so he won't slip off into the water.

"I dunno whether to be impressed or disgusted wit'yea right now," Niall winces as he stares down at the long distance growing between them and the sea.

"You can be impressed," Liam answers with a chuckle, "because once we get on board it's all you."

"Why me?" Niall whines. He hates heights almost as much as he hates getting wet.

"I'm not exactly inconspicuous. Look at me!" Liam shakes his body around to demonstrate and Niall yelps with fear. He grabs on tighter, swinging his hooves around Liam's body like a baby koala.

"Don't do that you clumsy oaf! I'm holding on for dear life here!"

Liam chuckles as Niall continues to squeeze him in a white-knuckle grip. "Think happy thoughts, Niall. We're almost there."

Niall shuts his eyes tightly and blathers on. "I only like warmth. _Dry_ warmth. and the safe, solid ground beneath me, Liam. I like potatoes. I like sleeping in mossy grass beds. I like eating parts of my mossy grass bed. I really like having the option of eating my furniture if I'm hungry..."

They reach the top of the bow andLiam shuts Niall up by hoisting him over the ledge onto the deck. Niall lands with a thump on the ship and sighs with relief.

Unfortunately however, Niall notices a little too late that he is face-to-face with a long-haired crew member who has stopped mopping the deck to stare blankly at the new arrival. The lanky man gawks at the Faun like he's just been slapped in the face. Niall freezes too, unsure of what to do next. He looks around but there really is no where to run. The man just blinks at him from behind his glasses so Niall decides to take advantage of his shock and work some of his trickster magic.

"The name's Neil," Niall says, with much more confidence than he actually feels. He reaches his hand out in greeting.

"How did you..?" the man asks, dumbly pointing at the side of the boat where he came from.

"Oh, ah..." Niall stammers, "did yah feel that bump? Nearly tossed me right over the side there, but I managed to climb back up. Lost me mop overboard though, slippery bugger."

Niall laughs nervously and bounces a bit on his hooves. He reaches his hand up through his hair and realizes it's still sticking straight up so that it covers his horns completely. The young man must not realize he's not altogether human, which gives him a small burst of confidence. Niall claps his hands together to keep the conversation moving. The longer he can distract this guy the better it'll be for him and Liam. The last thing he wants to do right now is have to escape off the ship into the cold sea.

"And you are?" Niall asks with a friendly grin. He leans in with his hand again, ready for a shake.

"Julian..." the man answers, taking Niall's hand. Niall is dumbfounded that any of this is working at all, but he's not about to question is charming abilities. He knows they are rather spectacular. But then he sees Julian's eyes glance down at the blonde fur covering Niall's legs and he looks up at him with his mouth gaping wide in realization.

"You're a...f-f-"

"Hey! Say yer name again will ya?" Niall shouts, cutting him off quickly. He yanks Julian's hand towards him before he can let go, then lunges forward and head-butts him hard in the forehead with his horns, knocking him out cold. Julian lands with a hard thud on the deck. Niall feels a little bit badly at first. He's not a very violent creature. He'd much rather fool humans with riddles or charm them with song than do this. He didn't realize Harry and Louis would cause such dramatic confrontations between unsuspecting strangers.

Niall bends down beside the unconscious Julian. "Sorry, mate. You seem like a nice chap and all but I'm afraid I gotta strip ya naked."

Niall leaves Julian in his britches and dresses himself up in the rest of his clothing to disguise himself. Thankfully, Julian's trousers are a bit too long and do well to hide his hooves. Though, Julian is also much lankier than the Faun and his small shirt is doing wonders at showing off the bulk of Niall's arms.

When the coast is clear, Liam hauls himself over the edge of the ship and looks Niall up and down. Niall is just putting on Julian's round glasses as a finishing touch, then flaunts his new look by strutting in a circle around Liam.

"I don't know whether to be impressed or disgusted with you right now," Liam laughs when he sees Niall in his human getup.

"That was miraculous, mate. We're still alive aren't we? And look, I'll blend right in!" Niall says in an exaggerated human accent.

"What do we do now?"

Niall crosses his arms. "I'm about 90 percent certain Louis' brain is shoved halfway up his giant arse at the moment. He's never been good with stress, doesn't think straight under pressure. So I think we should try to find him first and then make a plan for Harry. Sound good?"

"Bunetta!" a loud yell sounds from the other side of the deck. Niall spins around to see two figures approaching him fast. Liam scuttles to the left of the bow, dragging Julian's limp body along with him and tosses it behind a large water barrel to hide. Then Liam proceeds to launch himself inside the barrel itself with a splash. His fearful brown eyes peer out from the top of the rim to watch as Niall puts on his best, most dashing smile.

"Hi there, I'm-"

"You're not Julian," the first man interrupts Niall and stops dead. The two men survey him up and down with their dark eyes. One has a round face that reminds Niall of a potato, and a strangely sly smile that makes him feel a bit uneasy. The other one has a smattering of dark facial hair and a high, square forehead, but beyond that they both look eerily similar.

"You know, I have no idea where he is," Niall says, looking around as if Julian isn't just knocked out on the ground a few feet away from them, "maybe he's gone off on a break? I hear he's been slacking off a bit lately...that...slacker."   
Niall's improvisational skills have certainly been better, but his performance seems to be working. The two crew men chuckle and nod in agreement. This "being human" business might not be so hard if everyone around is this exceptionally dim.

"You joined us from the cove then?" the short potato asks him, swinging his arm around Niall's neck.

"Ah, you missed all the action then! That mermaid put up a real good fight," adds the other one.

"Too bad," Niall responds with a grimace. Niall has never been so aware of his body, the tail in his trousers, his horns tucked up under his hair only inches from the potato's face. But he's stuck on a ship in the middle of the sea on a desperate rescue mission, there is really no way out of this but trudging forward and hoping for the best.

"Pleased to meet yah. I'm Neil."

The men then introduce themselves to "Neil": the tall one as Winston and the shorter one as Wootton. Both equally weird, if Niall is being honest. Niall does his best to stay jovial as they invite him to join them. Something about a happy hour.

Niall follows Winston and Wootton across the deck and feels nervous sweat start to prickle his neck. If the wind gets any stronger and blows his hair back will his cover be blown? Do they notice the clacking of his hooves on the wood?

He glances behind him and sees Liam scuttling after them, keeping a wide berth and staying in the shadows. Niall can still hear the loud pops of Liam's tentacles as they snap into the wood. Clearly, Liam isn't used to anything but the soft sand and, on deck, his movement sound like wet squelching that doesn't do so well when they're trying to be covert. Niall tries to make up for it by laughing a little too loudly at all of Wootton's jokes.

The men head to the kitchens down a small corridor below the deck. The two crew men burst through the swinging doors at once, loudly announcing their arrival to someone inside with raucous cheers.

Before following them inside, Niall pauses and looks around. The corridor is dark and narrow and he can't see Liam. He'll have to go on without him until he can shake these pirates. Disappearing now would seem suspicious. Niall is going to have to talk his way out of this and, with luck, manage to coax some information about Harry's whereabouts from this lot. From what he's seen already, this ship is enormous and somewhere inside there's a captured merman and a loose Harpy and that signals nothing but trouble.

"Neil! Get your arse in here. There's a cold brew with your name on it!" Winston yells from inside.

Niall slowly walks into the kitchen, letting the doors swing out behind him. He turns his head for just a moment and is relieved to see Liam's brown eyes appear in the window just as they shut, offering Niall a comforting wink.

Niall can take care of this situation, he's done this before. He gestures to Liam with his head to carry on.

_Go find Louis._


	20. Two Steps Far from You

Harry wakes up to the sound of a familiar voice. A high, raspy sing-song that can only mean one thing. He blinks open his eyes to meet the set of bright blue ones watching him from outside of the tank.

"Haz," Louis' sighs. His breath makes a circle of fog appear on the glass and Harry's heart does a backflip inside his chest.

Louis smiles warmly before leaping up to lift the glass lid. But before it's even fully open, Harry has his arms wrapped so tightly around him it nearly knocks them both over. Louis steadies himself by reaching under Harry's arms and squeezing him just as hard. He nuzzles his face into the crook of Harry's neck, scratching him lightly with the patches of scruff that decorate his chin.

Harry can feel Louis' smile on his skin as he breathes him in and Harry can't help himself from doing the same. Louis smells like the earth and the wind and the quiet calm of the shore. He feels like home in every way Harry can imagine, which makes his eyes blur with the kind of happy-sadness you only get from missing something that much. 

Louis lifts his head slightly and Harry feels his lips brushing up against his earlobe.

"I thought you were dead," he murmurs gravelly.

The vibration of his voice so close sends a shiver through Harry's body, which already feels charged like an electric current is running through it. He thought he was dead too, done for completely. All he can do to respond is hold Louis against him and never let him go because the words won't form over the quiet sobs coming out of him in little hiccups.

Louis places a kiss on the tip of Harry's chin and brushes a tear away from Harry's wide eyes with his thumb.

"I'm sorry," Harry chokes with a small laugh, "I'm just...you're _here_ and I thought..."

Louis stops him by placing a finger to his mouth. "Love," he whispers, "I've got you now."

Love.

Without another word Louis climbs into the tank beside Harry who can't seem to move an inch for fear of crumbling into pieces. Louis wraps his legs around Harry as the water soaks him through. Even though the tank could barely hold all of Harry a few moments ago, Louis seems to fit just fine, nestling into a cozy spot against Harry's still-trembling body.

They've never been this close before, at least not purposefully, and Harry isn't sure whether it's the plight of his capture or the urgency of their escape, but he can't imagine there being any space between them ever again. They should flee, escape while the coast is clear, but Harry just needs a minute right here to gather his wits. He holds onto Louis like he might fly away if he lets go for a even a moment.

Harry breathes in and out, matching the rise and fall of Louis' own chest and soon his anxiety ebbs away with a little laps in the water around them. Even the tank starts to expand, feeling less and less like a prison and more like the sea, wide and infinite and safe. The darkness of the room melts away until they are alone, in the middle of nothing.

Eventually Louis' hands find their way around Harry's waist and he slides himself on top of him so that their eyes meet again. Harry loves Louis up close where he can see the swirl of his cinnamon hair falling to one side over his cheek. He touches the curl gingerly with his finger. Has Louis always looked like sunshine?

Harry's entire body feels like fire as Louis begins tracing his fingertips over it slowly, he barely touches, barely moves, and even still Harry's heart starts to race like a hummingbird.

Louis finds Harry's own hands and lifts them up above his head, entwining their fingers so they are wrist to wrist and Harry is held fast against the back of the tank. Louis moves his body upwards so he's sitting, thighs tucked close around Harry's body and gazes down at him, eyes traveling across every inch of him. Harry hears him breathe out a low, husky purr that echoes off the glass walls of the tank.

"What are you doing?" he whispers, but it comes out in a shiver as Louis moves his hands to twist Harry's curls around his fingers. Louis leans in and hums his response into Harry's mouth before kissing him like he truly is the earth and the wind and the waves all in one; at once cool and rough and wet. The rest of Harry could evaporate entirely and he wouldn't mind at all so long as his mouth was left for Louis'.

When Louis pulls back he smiles so brightly it's as if he brought the entire sky along with him. Harry runs his hand along Louis' cheekbones and he reciprocates by leaning into Harry's hand and bringing his palm to his mouth for a little peck.

"I'm never leaving you again," Louis says.

Harry can feel the edge of his bottom lip start to tremble. "I wouldn't let you."

Harry swallows hard as the chill of goosebumps roll over him like waves. Louis moves slow like the current and Harry arches his body to quicken the pace. He's not even sure what he's heading for, but going in any other direction sounds like it might kill him.

Harry begins to run his own hands down the length of Louis' shoulder blades, exploring every curve and lilt of him. Louis leans in once again and bites at Harry's shoulder messily and Harry surprises himself when a moan slips from his mouth. He's never felt this before, this urgent pull of his body towards anything or anybody. His life thus far has been nothing but chaste, nothing but lonely, but Louis wrapped around him like this, like he was in the middle of the sea is intoxicating.

Louis licks his lips, wetting his sly little grin so that Harry has to yank him down towards him by the shoulders. He presses his mouth to him with a hungry growl.

Then, with a start, Harry finally realizes what's wrong. He pull Louis away from him suddenly and holds him still.

"What is it, Harry? You don't like it?" Louis asks, biting down on his bottom lip that's flushed redder than usual.

"Where are your wings?" Harry asks slowly. He moves to sit up, sloshing some water up the sides. He thought it was clear before, but now he notices that it's turned dark and murky.

"Let's get you home," Louis says abruptly, avoiding the question. He jumps out of the tank eagerly and Harry can see that even the feathers along his legs are missing.

"Come," Louis says with a smile. He moves forwards to take Harry hands and pulls him up from the tank. Harry is surprised to find that he can stand just fine on his own two feet.

 _Feet_.

Harry looks down incredulously to where his fin should be and instead sees two long legs disappearing into the dark water. He starts to wiggle his toes below him feeling the awkward sensation of their small movements. Harry can vaguely remember something being said about an elixir by the Captain. He knows all the myths about mermaids being turned human before if they're separated from the sea for too long, though he's never seen it with his own eyes. It all seemed like stories made up to scare young Mers away from the shores. And it doesn't explain what happened to Louis.

"Lou..." Harry starts to say, but Louis yanks him out of the tank quickly. Harry nearly stumbles over the edge like a baby deer on his new legs, but Louis steadies him with a gentle hand across his back and kisses his temple for encouragement.

Louis leans into Harry's ear. "There's a Harpy on board the ship," his voice turns hard.

Harry wobbles backwards, sitting on the edge of the tank to get his balance. "What are you talking about?"

"He must have come after the Mer..." Louis says but his lips don't move at all. The sound seems to be coming from around them, loud and harsh.

"Isolate him in the cellar. Let's see what state he's in first before deciding anything," not-Louis barks at him, his eyes pooling into black stones as the room gets darker, like nightfall.

Everything starts to spin and Harry can hear the rush of water flooding in his ears and, suddenly, the loud stomps of heavy feet slam the ceiling overhead, rattling the room with dust.

"Louis!" Harry shouts.

"Don't worry love, I've got you," Louis tells him before backing up into the doorway. The entire room rattles as the door slams shut, closing Harry in.

*****

The sudden bang of the door startles Harry awake. He slams his head against the glass with a frightened jolt before realizing he's locked back inside the tank.

There is a set of worried blue eyes watching him from the outside, but they aren't the ones he remembers.

"I'm sorry! Did he wake you? That was terribly loud..." A girl sits on the floor with her hand pressed lightly against the glass. "Simon won't be back for a while, though, so you can go back to sleep."

Harry looks down at his fin swishing in the filthy, grey water. He's not dreaming anymore. His lip is still swollen with the same cut from before and his skin feels tight and sore with bruises. Nothing has changed. Louis isn't here. He can't taste him anymore or feel his soft breath against his neck. He feels nothing now but the cold, darkness of the creaking ship.

Harry's heart sinks down with his body to the bottom of the tank and stays there.


	21. Everybody Needs Someone Around

**CONCERNING CECAELIA**   
**Fabled Wildlife Manual pg. 80**

_We don't know much about the deep sea beyond the trenches, and those who call it home are often regarded as a mystery. The Cecaelia, a cave-dwelling cousin of the octopus, is one of them._

_From what we have gathered, based on rare sightings and a few brief interactions, is that the Cecaelia are careful, peaceful creatures despite their ability to do plenty of damage when provoked. They have remarkable strength in their muscular bodies, though they rarely use it. Their gentle natures mean that they prefer to avoid confrontation and would rather placate a situation than start one. However, Cecaelia are not shy, despite their elusive habits. Cecaelia are confident and happy to show off to the right audience. They and have a keen sense of the good and the bad and will act quickly if they feel an injustice is being served, which makes them a friend to most creatures once a relationship can be established._

 

**[Chapter 21] "** _Everybody needs someone around"_

*****

When Liam finds Louis, he's hidden away in a dark corner of the cellar, breathing heavy like he's about to be sick. His head is covered by both his hands, one of which appears to be bloodied all around the knuckles.

"Louis?" Liam asks carefully as he approaches. He's still not entirely sure where they stand as friends and Louis looks a little unstable, so Liam treads carefully, not wanting to poke an angry bear.

Louis jumps at the sound of his voice, clearly not expecting anyone else to be in the room. When he sees that it is only Liam, he runs to him as if for a hug, but seems to change his mind at the last second and stops a few feet in front of him instead.

"'Bout time you made it," Louis says, shoving Liam's shoulder lightly.

"Are you hurt? What's the matter?"

"Me? No. I'm fine, it's just..." Louis turns his head briefly and Liam sees that the cellar is actually a fish storage hold and there are dead things everywhere, strung up and organized by part. There's everything from giant white fin tuna to crabs and cockle shells, barrels of urchins and even, to his own horror, several octopus piled in a heap in the corner. Liam can feel his face turning white at the sight of them, but he gulps it down. It's no use reacting badly in front of Louis who already looks like he's about to unravel. Liam can see that his eyes are rimmed with red even in the dull light. 

"I'm glad you're here," Louis exhales, "someone saw me."

Liam's face turns to worry. "Here? Who?"

"Dunno. Some fuck. I punched him and he left screaming, the little baby."

So he's not angry, Liam realizes, he's just hopped up on fearful adrenaline. "You punched a human?"

"He jumped at me!" Louis yells before bringing his voice back down to a whisper, "I dropped down from there," he points to the latch door opened on the ceiling, "and he was sorting all this...fish. He was holding up this one fin and it looked just like--" Louis stops and shakes his head, "so I punched him."

"Probably not the cleverest approach. We are trying to stay undetected here"

"Well isn't it _so_ _easy_ to be practical in hindsight!" Louis rolls his eyes. He stuffs his split knuckle into his mouth and sucks on it with a wince.

"Let me see that," Liam reaches for Louis' hand but he pulls away.

"I'm fine! It was just a big punch is all." Liam notes the hint of pride that sneaks into Louis' face.

"Do you think we should follow him? I'm sure he's going somewhere important if he saw you here."

Louis eyes brighten. "Yeah! He's probably heading to the Captain...and when we find him I can claw that fookin--"

"Oookay, tough bird," Liam interrupts with a chuckle, "one step at a time."

They head to the doorway and Liam peers down the dark corridor for sighs of movement.

"I am glad you're here, Liam," Louis murmurs from behind him, "I really had no idea what to do next."

Liam smiles at hearing that. Maybe Louis isn't so bad after all. He's certainly good for Harry anyways. Who else would come barreling onto a pirate ship like this and risk everything? Liam is happy he didn't end up drowning Louis after all. That would have been a shame.

"We Cecaelia tend to be quite clever, Louis m'bird, you're in good hands."

"What the fuck is a Cecaelia?" Louis says with a laugh and Liam almost turns around to smack him but something down the corridor catches his eyes. He quickly snaps his head back into the room.

 _Someone is coming_ he mouths at Louis whose eyes grow wide. Then, as if on cue, several pairs of footsteps clamour down the corridor towards them. Liam and Louis give each other a quick nod, then they both separate to different ends of the room to hide.

After a moment of hesitation, Liam leaps into the pile of octopus, it's easier to try and blend in rather than attempting to stuff all his limbs into a cramped space. He just has to try and will himself not to faint.

Louis steps behind a hanging tuna by the opposite wall. It drips from its gaping mouth onto the floor and Louis has to bring his body tight against he wall to avoid getting any of the stench on him. If he wasn't already opposed to the idea of seafood, he definitely is now.

Both of them almost stop breathing as the footsteps get louder and closer. Then a pair of voices sound from the middle of the room.

"I don't see anything..."

"He was just here!"

"This is ridiculous."

"I promise you--"

"You're wasting my time, Oli."

"I'm not! Really, look at my face where he got me!"

"Maybe you just ran into a carcass. It's as dark as a cave in here, it's no wonder you're so pale."

"I'm telling you, Zayn, it was a Harpy. Wings and all!"

At the mention of Zayn, Louis' heel slips on a wet slick under his foot and he lands sideways on the floor with a bang. Louis tries to scramble back behind the tuna but it's too late.

"See!" Oli yells, jumping up and down. He's a young, wiry thing with a long face that looks eerily like an freckled rat. He jumps sheepishly behind the Centaur with his tiny, scared eyes.

Louis is happy to see the bruise blooming over the boy's eye from his fist, but Zayn's face is harder to decipher. Is it surprised? Scared? Amused? Louis doesn't have much time to figure it out because the next second he's being dragging out into the room by the arm.

"Come to play rescue, did you?" Zayn hisses at him, "that was a bad idea."

Louis tries to pull away but Zayn pins him against the wall with his front legs. Louis clenches his jaw tightly and feels a growl rumbling in his throat as Zayn's eyes flash with something new. Worry? Sadness? Louis isn't sure.

"Aren't we lucky, Oli?" Zayn calls loudly over his shoulder, "a little chicken dropped in for the voyage, and just in time too. I'm getting a little tired of seafood, aren't you?"

"Yeah, really tired of it!" Oli yips. He keeps his distance from Louis and stays by the door.

"Maybe we can convince James to cook us a little feast then," Zayn turns to Louis, "how do you think you'd fare if you were, let's say...stuffed with mozzarella?"

Oli claps his hands together and cackles with delight.

"...wrapped in Parma ham?" Zayn continues and Oli squeals. Louis jerks his body to push him away, but Zayn brings his face to his ear.

"Just play along and I'll get you to Harry," Zayn mutters through his teeth.

Louis' eyes widen. "You'll what?"

But Zayn doesn't have a chance to finish as suddenly Liam comes bursting out from the pile of octopus shrieking like a wild cat. He launches his body across the room, spread out to his full size, and slaps his entire body around Zayn like a wet glove. All eight tentacles drag the Centaur away from Louis, tossing him like a pebble across the room. Zayn lands with a crash on the floor, scattering a neat pile of oysters into mayhem. Liam leaps onto  
Zayn and traps him under his weight, swiftly tying him up in his many-limbed grasp.

Now freed, Louis only has to extend his wingspan to its full size and let out a threatening screech for Oli to flee in terror. He sprints out of the room, knocking his shoulder against the doorframe on the way out and can be heard screaming down the corridor until he's out of earshot.

"What was all that about trying to stay undetected?" Louis laughs as Liam wrestles Zayn on the ground.

"What the _hell_ is happening?!" Zayn yells, "I KNOW HIM. Louis! Would you tell him I know you? _Please_!"

Louis laughs before answering. "Fine, yes. This is Zayn. And he knows where Harry is so, Liam, you may release your...spidery things."

Liam reluctantly crawls off of Zayn, but keeps glaring at him with uncertainty. "You know him?"

" _Knew_ him," Louis corrects, "the Zayn I know would never wear a fuckin' _cravat_ like a dirty human."

"Do you want me to help save Harry's life or do you just want to make bitchy comments about mine?" Zayn asks as he shuffles uncomfortably in his clothes.

Sensing the tension, Liam changes the subject. "What about that boy? Do we need to be concerned about him?"

"Oh, he's just a squire. Nobody will take him seriously," Zayn assures them., "in fact, he may be a good distraction for a while."

"Then let's go!" Liam scuttles over to the doorway but Louis doesn't move yet.

"Why are you doing this now?" he turns to Zayn, "this is all your fault in the first place. If it weren't for you Harry would be fine. He'd be basking about on a beach in the sunshine, not locked up here in the dark somewhere with no one to take care of him."

Louis kicks an oyster at the wall in frustration. Zayn shrugs, avoiding Louis' eyes. "I know," he sighs sadly, "But I want to make it right, if you'll let me."

*

Niall knows he's supposed to be doing something important in the kitchen with these crew men but, for the life of him, he can't remember what.

He watches the cook bustle about behind the row of burners in a dirty apron. His blonde hair is cut short and his face is friendly and wide like the moon. Niall likes him already, mostly because of his vibrant energy, but also by the way he keeps filling up their stein with cold ale.

He's lining up a new round now, filling them all to the rim from a brown growler. After pouring out the last drips he tosses it into a pile of empty ones in the corner. The pile has certainly grown since he's been sitting there and Niall is starting to feel the effects.

"And aren't you just the little snack!" James smiles at Niall while passing him a fresh pint, "remind me where you came from?"

"That there is Neil. Just joined us near Modest," Winston responds with a belch.

James makes a sour face. "I fuckin hate that place. Seems dirty, don't it? No offence," he adds quickly. Niall shrugs. He's just so excited nobody seems to notice anything out of the ordinary. Even with their mounting intoxication, no one has seemed to suspect him at all. His little tail shakes in his trousers because of the thrill. This is the shit he lives for.

"You had enough there?" Winston jabs him in the side with his elbow and points to his full drink.

"Never!" Niall yells, swallowing it all in a few gulps. He slams his stein down so the rest of them bounce on the table, "hit me with another!"

James complies with a chuckle just as the door swings open and Oli bursts in blubbering incoherently.

"There's a-a-a _thing_ on the ship! With _arms_! And a bird! A _Harpy_! And they got Zayn!" he yells at them and waits for a reaction. He gets nothing from the crew but crickets.

"What has Zayn done now?" Winston asks lazily.

"Look at you! You're shaking like a little leaf," James passes Oli an ale for his nerves. It shakes in his hands as he tries to take a sip, so Wootton makes him sit and start from the beginning.

Niall leans in across the table and puts on his most concerned look as Oli rambles on about birds and tentacles and so on. He laughs along with the men who all seem to be humouring the poor lad instead of actually listening. Then Niall jumps up from the table when it suddenly clicks that the boy is talking about Louis and Liam.

"I'll need to go!" he shouts abruptly, wobbling a bit on his legs.

"Go where?" asks Winston.

"To... check on the mermaid!" Niall offers with a swing of his arm. He can feel the ale in him up to his eyeballs, but somehow he can recall something about rescuing Harry.

"Why would we need to do that?" Wootton says skeptically.

"Because..." Niall figures that's where the lads will be heading too, but he can't very well say that to the crew. "Because if anything else happens to him Simon would have our headsss-ss," he slurs his words as be backs up towards the door. Whether they believe him or not, he needs to get out of this room before he blurts something out.

Surprisingly, the men all nod in agreement. "He has a point," Winston remarks.

"He should do that," Oli adds, "because those monsters are loose!"

James gives Oli a pat on the back. "There, there. Have another pint. We'll keep you safe from the sea monsters." The men all laugh heartily.

"Great! So..I'll be going now. And you will stay right here then? Yes, I will go," Niall swings his leg around and turns towards the door. He half expects the men to follow him but they are too busy cheering on Oli who is choking on a gulp of ale.

Niall feels amazing, like a real trickster worthy of the horns on his head. He starts to congratulate himself before realizing he has no idea where he's supposed to be going. He sticks his head back into the kitchen once more.

"Can any of you tell me where, exactly, I might _find_ the Harry-I mean the _merman_?"


End file.
